Valentine’s Day Cookie Recipes

1 c Butter or margarine – Softened
1 1/2 c Sugar; confectioner’s
1 Egg; lightly beaten
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 ts Almond extract
2 1/2 c Flour; all purpose
Red decorators sugar ( opt.)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Stir in flour; mix well. Chill for several hours. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2 or 3 inch heart shaped cookie cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets; sprinkle with red sugar, if desired. Bake at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

3 c Flour
1 ts Baking soda
1 Egg
1 ts Almond extract
1 c Sugar
1 1/3 c Shortening
Red food color

Sift flour and soda together. Beat the egg and add the extract to the egg. Cream sugar with shortening; add egg; mix thoroughly. Add dry ingredients gradually. Roll into balls 1″ in diameter. Place 1″ apart on greased cookie sheet. Press thumb gently in center of top of each ball. Touch depression with red coloring. Bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees.

1/2 cup whole almonds, — chopped & divided
1 package (18.25 oz) cherry-flavored cake mix
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips — melted
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Finely chop almonds with food chopper. Reserve about 2 tablespoons almonds for garnish. Combine remaining almonds, cake mix, egg, oil and water in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. (Mixture will be dry) With small stainless steel scoop, drop dough 2 inches apart onto 13″ baking stone. Bake 13-15 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on stone; remove to non-stick cooling rack. Cool completely. Place chocolate chips and oil in covered micro-cooker. Microwave on high 2-21/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Dip half of each cookie in chocolate; shake to remove excess. Sprinkle with reserved almonds. Place on parchment paper and refrigerate until set. Yield: about 3 dozen. NOTES : If chocolate thickens, microwave at 30-second intervals until dipping consistency.

1 c Butter or margarine;-softened
3/4 c Brown sugar, packed
3 c All-purpose flour
1/4 ts Salt
Red sugar crystals; optional

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter; gradually add the sugar, beating with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to thoroughly combine. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutters. Place on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with red sugar crystals, if desired. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Store in airtight containers with waxed paper between the layers of cookies. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

Cookies:
1 c Sugar
1 c Butter; softened
1/4 c Milk
1 ts Almond extract
1 Egg
2 3/4 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Unsweetened cocoa
3/4 ts Baking powder
1/4 ts Baking soda
Frosting:
2 c Powdered sugar
1/2 c Butter; softened
Red food coloring
2 tb Milk; (2 to 3)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For cookies: Beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, almond extract and egg. Blend well. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. On floured surface, roll out 1/3 of dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Keep remaining dough chilled until ready to use. Cut dough with heart-shaped cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Cut a smaller, 1 inch heart from center of half the hearts. Repeat until all dough is used. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets and cool completely. For frosting: Mix together powdered sugar, butter and a few drops food coloring and blend well. Add just enough milk to make spreading consistency. Spread frosting on whole heart cookies and top with cut-out hearts.

3/4 lb Butter; soft
3/4 c Honey
1 ts Vanilla
2/3 c Almonds; finely ground
1 3/4 c Whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c All-purpose flour
Jam or preserve for filling

Cream butter, honey and vanilla with mixer. Add almonds and flour. Knead on flour board until well blended. Refrigerate 1 hour. Roll out to 1/8″ on lightly floured board. Cut into shapes. (Use a Heart-shaped cookie cutter). If filling with jam or preserves, make a thumbprint in center of each cookie. Place on cookie sheet, then spoon a dab of your favorite jam or preserves into thumbprint. Bake 7 to 12 minutes at 325~. Edges should be light brown. Cool on rack. Source: The Celebrity Chefs Cookbook by Ruby Jeanne Caldwell.

1/2 c Butter or margarine;-softened
1 c Sugar
2 Eggs
2 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Hershey’s cocoa
1 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
Valentine frosting:
1 1/2 c Powdered sugar
2 tb Butter or margarine Or shortening
2 tb Milk
1/2 ts Vanilla extract
2 dr Red food color; (2 to 3)

1. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and eggs on medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to butter mixture beating until well blended. Cover; refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.
2. Heat oven to 350 F. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness; cut with heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with VALENTINE FROSTING; decorate as desired. About 4 dozen cookies.

VALENTINE FROSTING:
In bowl, beat powdered sugar, shortening, milk, vanilla and food color, if desired, until smooth and of spreading consistency. About 3/4 cup frosting. VARIATION: CHOCOLATE VALENTINE FROSTING: Stir 3 tablespoons HERSHEY’S Cocoa into powdered sugar. Omit food color. Proceed as directed above, increasing milk to 3 tablespoons.JMHershey’s is a registered trademark of Hershey Foods Corporation. Recipe may be reprinted courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 drops red food color

Heat oven to 400º. Beat powdered sugar, butter and vinegar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining ingredients except food color. Divide dough in half. Mix food color into one half. (If dough is too dry, stir in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.) Roll dough 1/8″ thick on lightly floured cloth-covered surface. Cut into heart shapes with various sizes of cookie cutters. Place smaller hearts on larger hearts of different color dough if desired. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5 – 7 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool 1 – 2 minutes; carefully remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Decorate with white and pink Decorator’s Frosting ( see recipe), if desired.