Valentine’s Day Cookies

I’ve been cleaning up after Frankie’s messy attempt at making Valentine’s Day Cookies. His tail’s been out of joint, but he’s okay now, waiting for me to decorate the finished cookies so he can test them. This recipe involves a moderate level of difficulty. These cookies take several hours to make, but most of that is chilling time. 

The result is a beautiful cookie - perfect for special occasions such as Valentine’s Day (with red food coloring), St. Patrick’s Day (with green food coloring), Autumn (with orange and brown food coloring), the holidays (with red and green food coloring), or Spring (with pastel food coloring). I’ve modified this recipe from one I found for Pinwheel Cookies in Wilton’s Gifts From the Kitchen (Woodridge, IL, 2007). 

Valentine’s Day Cookies:

½ c. (125 mL) butter or margarine, softened

½ c. (125 mL) granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) peppermint extract

1-½ c. (375 mL) all-purpose flour

Dash salt

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) red gel food color

2 tbsp. (30 mL) red sparkly crystalline sugar

2 tbsp. (30 mL) white sparkly crystalline sugar 

Three 1-oz. (28 g) squares white chocolate, chopped or equivalent amount of white chocolate melting wafers

In a large bowl using electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together about 5 min., until no grainy feeling remains when mixture is rubbed between thumb and forefinger. Add egg and extracts, mixing well. Add flour and salt, also mixing well. 

So here we have the perfect cookie dough!

Divide dough into two equal block-shaped portions, each weighing 8 oz. or 250 g. Add gel food color to one portion, kneading well to distribute color evenly. 

Bowls of tinted and untinted dough. 

Place each portion on separate sheet of waxed paper. With rolling pin, roll to form rectangle measuring 4 x 5 in. (10 x 12 cm). Wrap in cello, refrigerating at least 1 hr. or overnight, as convenient.

Separately wrap red and white blocks of dough; chill.

Remove one block of dough from refrigerator. Place on long sheet of waxed paper (see Note) with dampened cloth underneath, to prevent paper from sliding as you work. Cover top of dough with second sheet of waxed paper, leaving ends free.  

With rolling pin, roll to form a rectangle measuring 6 x 11 in. (15 x 28 cm), straightening and measuring the rectangle with a ruler. Repeat with second block of dough. On flat surface such as a baking sheet, briefly chill both portions of rolled dough to firm them. 

Roll out dough: Measure and straighten edges with a ruler.

Lift waxed paper sheet under white dough rectangle, quickly flipping over red dough rectangle. Use ruler to even sides once again. Gently press the two portions of dough together with your fingers. Using the bottom sheet of waxed paper, carefully roll long end of the joined cookie doughs, jelly-roll style. Wrap roll in cello, chilling 1-to-2 hr. until firm. 

Roll colored doughs, one atop the other, jelly-roll style.

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F. Remove roll from refrigerator; unwrap.  Cut crosswise into ¼-in. (.6 cm) rounds. 

Slice into rounds.

Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, 1-in. (2.5 cm) apart. These cookies make look small, but they spread! Bake about 8 min., until edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven. Set baking sheet on wire rack until cookies are completely cool, about 10 min.

Baked and cooled! But we aren’t finished yet!

Place chopped white chocolate or white chocolate melting wafers into microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at half power 1-to-2 min., stirring every 30 sec. until chocolate is melted. Using the back of a teaspoon, spread small amount of slightly warm chocolate around half the edge of cooled cookie. 

Add red and white sparkly sugars to small bowl, combining well. Immediately roll edges of cookie in sparkly sugar. Place cookie on parchment paper until chocolate sets. Repeat with remaining cookies. Makes about 3 doz.

Dip into sparkly sugars.

Note: Do not use parchment paper underneath block of dough to roll cookies out jelly-roll style. Waxed paper is more pliable than parchment. It won’t stick to your dough, as parchment does. 

Further Note: On their own, these cookies aren’t very sweet. They need the little oomph! of sweetness the chocolate and sugar provide, so don’t skip that special step. 

Sugar-dipped Valentine’s Day Cookies

Variation: It’s also fun to make Lemon Drops. Using lemon extract instead of the vanilla and mint in this recipe, follow the same method as with these rolled cookies. Color half the dough light yellow and half, darker yellow. Beading melted white chocolate around the edge, dip cookie edge n sparkly yellow crystalline sugar. These sugars are available in many colors, either online or in cooking and craft specialty stores, as you choose.