Recipes

Valentines Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, (room temperature)
2/3 cup powdered icing sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup red Merckens molding wafers
1/2 cup white Merckens molding wafers
1/2 cup Valentines Smarties
1/4 cup Heart Candies

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C)
2. In the bowl, using an electric or hand mixer, whip butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
3. Using a paddle attachment, gently mix in the flour and salt mixture just until incorporated. Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap and leave at room temp for 20 minutes to firm up ensuring that it can be rolled out properly.
4. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick circle. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out shapes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.) Bake for 8 - 10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
5. Melt colored molding wafers in a double boiler, (or gently in the microwave) and pour melted chocolate into piping bags.
6. Use melted chocolate to pipe designs and to attach decorative candies onto cookies.
Makes about 20 shortbread cookies.