valentine cookies ~ chocolate cut-outs

Valentine's Day in elementary school was always one of my favorite holidays.  I would get so excited about filling out cards for all of my classmates and then spending the following day decorating the brown paper bag with cut-out pink and red hearts to glue on the outside.  We'd slide the finished bags to the edge of our desks and eagerly wait and see what had been collected in our own while we filled others' with their valentines.  And wasn't it fun to give your teacher the bigger "teacher" card that came in the pack, making extra-sure your penmanship was just right?  So many memories... doilies, cookies, chocolates... Sweet and simple times.  I miss them.

I do have to say that I'm bringing you a sweet and simple treat you may want to try for the special day next week.  I love cut-out sugar cookies.  They're fun and versatile.  For quite a while, I've wanted to find a chocolate version.  The Christmas before last, I actually began thinking about how fun it would be to find one and sandwich peppermint ice cream in between.  It only took me about 13 months, but I have found a very dependable chocolate sugar cookie recipe that is just enough sweet so as not to overly sweeten the dessert once paired with a filling.  In this picture, I used my favorite strawberry icing.  They would be so good with a buttercream or peanut butter frosting.  Strawberry or cherry ice cream would ROCK!  It would also be so pretty to dip half of the heart in a chocolate ganache and then again in pink or red sprinkles.  There are endless possibilities, so bake and decorate to your "heart's" content!

one year ago: egg-in-the-hole sandwich

Chocolate Cut-Outs

printable recipe

• 1 egg, beaten
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Combine egg, butter and sugar; blend until creamy. 

2. Add remaining ingredients and form dough into two flattened rounds; chill.

3. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness.

4. Cut with cookie cutters as desired; place on ungreased baking sheets.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let cool.