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Thank you for visiting my blog...and for allowing me to share with you my addiction. I love to collect recipes. I love to read cookbooks. I have been collecting recipes for as long as I can remember, and on any given day there are one or two (or more!) cookbooks residing on my nightstand!

This blog is chronicling my adventure as I fulfill my resolution of trying (at least) one new recipe each week. I hope that you enjoy!

I invite you to join me in my journey, simply by clicking the "Join this Site" link below. And please feel free to comment on any of the recipes, and pin away. Thanks, I look forward to sharing with you!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Valentine's Heart Cookies

Valentine's Heart Cookies | Addicted to Recipes
As much as I like to bake, I'm not always the most creative.  I adore all the beautiful cakes, cupcakes and cookies that so many skilled bakers make,s I try, I am just not that talented.  One day I hope to take some classes so that I can learn proper methods rather than just winging it.

Having said that, I do keep trying, and from time to time I see something that I think I can try.  With the Valentine's season upon us, I wanted to make fun, special cookies for my family, and I wanted it to be something that I could do with our oldest.  In my cookbooks I have all sorts of recipes for great cookies, especially Christmas-themed ones.  I scanned my books and couldn't find "the ror this project, so I headed over to Pinterest to see what I could find.  And I found these :-)

Here is the recipe:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Red or pink food coloring

1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Plastic wrap

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar well.  Add in the vanilla and salt.  Gradually add in the flour.  

Valentine's Heart Cookies | Addicted to RecipesOnce combined, remove the dough from the mixer and turn it out onto a clean surface.  Using your hands, knead the dough until it comes together.  Divide the dough into three equal sized balls.  (The original recipe suggested using your handy kitchen scale to take the guesswork out of dividing equally - great tip!).

Take one ball of dough and lay it out on a piece of plastic wrap.  Sprinkle the cocoa powder on top and knead, knead, knead until the cocoa is mixed in well.  Set the cocoa ball to the side.  Discard the plastic wrap and wash your hands well before moving on.

Take the second ball of dough and lay it out on a fresh piece of plastic wrap.  Add food coloring to the dough (I used pink).  Knead and knead and knead to work the colouring into the dough, add more colouring as needed to attain the colour you are after.  Set the pink dough aside.  Discard the plastic wrap and wash your hands well before moving on.  You should now have three balls of dough - brown, pink and white.

I found at this point that I needed to put the three balls of dough into the fridge for a few minutes to harden it up slightly before moving on to the next step.

Lay out a fresh piece of plastic wrap.  Place the third (untreated) ball of dough on the wrap, smoosh it down a little.  Cover with another piece of plastic wrap.  Roll the dough into a square / rectangle shape until it is approximately 3/8 inch thick.  Using a butter knife, slice the dough into strips, approximately 3/4 inch wide.  Carefully slide the plastic wrap and dough onto a cookie sheet.  Set aside.  Repeat for the cocoa and pink balls of dough.

Valentine's Heart Cookies | Addicted to RecipesYou may find that you need to pop the dough into the fridge again - doesn't hurt if it will help you through the process!

Whisk together the egg and water.

Cover your work space with a fresh piece of plastic wrap.  Alternating between the three colours, carefully take a strip of dough and place it on the new piece of plastic wrap.  Brush the edges with the egg mixture (this is the glue that will hold the dough together).  Carefully press each strip to the previous strip.  Don't worry if your strips are different thicknesses, we'll work those out in an upcoming step.  Repeat the pattern until you have used all of your dough strips.

Lay a new piece of plastic wrap on top of the patterned dough.  Using your rolling pin, carefully roll along the top of the dough, both horizontally and vertically - use just enough pressure to even out the levels of the dough and to make sure that each strip is sticking.

This is the point where I enlisted the assistance of my 5 year old.  We took our mid-sized heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut our cookies from the striped dough.

Carefully transfer the cut out hearts to the cookie sheet.

Bake for 9-11 minutes (or longer or shorter, depending on your oven/altitude, etc).  Allow the cookies to cool before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes approx. 30 cookies

Valentine's Heart Cookies | Addicted to Recipes

VERDICT:

While these were a finicky cookie to make, it was a fun experience, and my son really enjoyed the whole process.  He also adored the cookies, both their colourfulness and their taste.  They aren't a sweet cookie, actually a good tea-dipping cookie.  The cookies got two thumbs up from the kids.

19 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh, these are adorable! I must try to make them! Thanks for linking up to Wonderful at Homes linky party!!

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  2. I love these so much! They're perfect for birthday parties too, you could co-ordinate the colors to suit any theme :)

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  3. What sweet cookies for Valentine's Day! They looke like they were a fun project, too!

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  4. These are TOO CUTE!! Pinned ;) Thanks so much for sharing!!

    Brenda
    ChattingOverChocolate.blogspot.com

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  5. Hey, I'm a new follower! Found you at the Monday meet-up! OMG they look so yummy! Perfect for the 4th!

    Follow back? :)

    xoxo
    ochibernadas.blogspot.com

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  6. These look delicious, I haven't made cookies like this for a long time, but never this cute! I would love for you to share them at my link party Tuesday at http://www.memoriesbythemile.com/
    Pinned them!
    xoxo
    Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile

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  7. I've never seen anyone do cookies like this. What a fun idea that you could adapt for lots of different celebrations. Thanks for sharing htis cool technique. Jodi @ www.meaningfulmama.com

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  8. You cannot say you're not creative! :)
    These cookies are BEAUTIFUL and it's a GREAT idea
    Pinned

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  9. These are perfect little cookies, I'd say your talented!! I love the three colors, very fun! Would love it you'd link this up to Saturday Share With Us!
    http://www.lemonsforlulu.com/2013/02/09/saturday-share-with-us/

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  10. These are so cute- I want to try these! I am a new follower!

    Christi
    http://the-not-so-perfect-momblog.blogspot.com

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  11. These are so pretty... love the colors! Thanks for sharing at Monday Funday this week!

    Take care,

    Trish

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  12. These are lovely. Yes, I too love the colors.

    http://www.curiositaellya.blogspot.com/

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  13. You have been featured on Creative Corner Hop. Be sure to grab the "In the Spotlight" button on the right hand sidebar of my blog. And thanks for sharing!

    Sandy
    Cherished Handmade Treasures

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  14. These are adorable and look so fun to do! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  15. Very cool - I'm going to give this a try.

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  16. Recipe Sounds Good.
    Such a Pretty Cookies.
    This is a perfect gift for someone special.
    Thank You.

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Thank you so very much for visiting Addicted to Recipes! I love reading all your comments and will do my best to reply as quickly as I can. I sure hope you will come back and visit again soon!