Valentine's Day Cookie Recipes

Almond Kisses

1/2 recipe Sugar Cookie Dough, at room temperature
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup whole almonds, very finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons red sanding sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

On a work surface, knead the flour into the dough until well combined. Add chopped almonds and almond extract and knead dough until evenly incorporated.

Scoop level tablespoons of dough and roll into smooth balls between the palms of your hands. Place balls about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 20 minutes. Bake until set and golden on the bottom, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Stir the confectioner's sugar and sanding sugar together in a shallow dish.

While cookies are still warm, roll in sugar mixture with a fork until completely coated, gently pressing cookies into mixture to adhere the sanding sugar. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12-14 minutes
Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen

Sweetheart Tarts

1/2 recipe Sugar Cookie Dough, at room temperature, chilled
Confectioner's sugar, for rolling
1/2 cup seedless raspberry or cherry jam
36 canned or jarred whole dark cherries in syrup, drained

Equipment: Non-stick mini-muffin tin

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioner's sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed.

Using a round cookie cutter the same diameter as the top of the muffin tin cups (about 2 inches), cut 36 rounds of dough. Gently press a dough round into each muffin cup and press evenly into the sides and bottom of the cup. Continue with remaining dough rounds. Bake until set and edges are light golden, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool in the pan completely before removing with a small offset spatula.

Heat the jam in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add the cherries and stir gently to coat completely. With a small teaspoon, transfer a cherry into each tart shell and drizzle with a little more warm jam. Allow to cool and set.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen

Chocolate-Orange Cocoa Hearts

Ingredients for 1 recipe Sugar Cookie Dough, at room temperature
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 egg white, beaten with 1/2 teaspoon water
White sanding sugar, for sprinkling

Equipment: 2-by-2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

Add and sift the cocoa powder with the flour, baking powder and salt. Proceed with sugar cookie dough recipe and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stir the chopped chocolate and marmalade together in a small bowl until combined.

Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioner's sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed. With a 2-by-2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 48 hearts, re-rolling dough as needed. Place half of the hearts at least 1 inch apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets.

Evenly spread about 1 level teaspoon of the marmalade/chocolate mixture over each heart, leaving a 1/4-inch border around the edges. Brush the outer edge of the hearts lightly with egg-white wash. Place another dough heart over the filling and gently press the edges to seal. Continue with remaining dough cut-outs. Lightly brush the surface of the cookies with egg-white wash and sprinkle generously with sanding sugar. Bake until set, about 12-14 minutes. Let cool on the pan slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen

White Chocolate Valentines

Ingredients for 1 recipe Sugar Cookie Dough, at room temperature
1 teaspoon red gel paste food coloring
4 ounces white chocolate, melted
Pink gel paste food coloring

Equipment: 2 1/2-by-3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer and beat until light in color. Add the red food coloring, egg and milk and beat to combine. Proceed with recipe and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioner's sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed. With a 2 1/2-by-3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 36 hearts, re-rolling dough as needed. Place at least 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake until cookies are set but not brown, about 7-8 minutes. Let cool on the pan slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

To make striped Valentine hearts, transfer half of the melted chocolate to a disposable pastry bag, twist the end closed, and using scissors, snip a very small opening in the tip. Starting at the bottom of the cookie, apply gentle pressure to the pastry bag and drizzle lines of chocolate back and forth over the cookie, moving up as the chocolate flows. Allow chocolate to set before eating or packaging.

To make polka-dot Valentine hearts, color the remaining chocolate with pink food coloring to the desired shade of pink. Transfer to a disposable pastry bag, twist the end closed, and using scissors, snip a very small opening in the tip. Hold the pastry bag perpendicular to the cookie and apply gentle pressure to pipe a dot of chocolate. Release the pressure on the bag until the flow stops, and continue over the surface of the cookie, piping different sized dots, if desired. Gently tap the cookie to settle the chocolate and allow to set before eating or packaging.

Cook's Note: If gel paste food colorings are not available, add liquid food coloring until you achieve desired color. For pink, simply use a little red.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen

Sugar Heart Sandwich Cookies

1 recipe Sugar Cookie Dough, at room temperature
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon pomegranate juice
Small red sugar hearts, for decorating

Equipment: 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, 1 1/2-by-1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter

Prepare dough as directed and chill for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sprinkle a work surface and rolling pin with confectioner's sugar and roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick. Move dough frequently to prevent it from sticking and add more confectioner's sugar to the work surface and rolling pin as needed. With a 2 1/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut 72 dough rounds, re-rolling dough as needed. With a small heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 1 1/2-by-1-inch), cut hearts from the center of half the dough rounds. Place the rounds and cutouts about 1 inch apart on parchment -lined baking sheets. Bake until just set but not brown, about 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the pan slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the filling: In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, butter, confectioner's sugar, and pomegranate juice until smooth and fluffy. Spread about 1 teaspoon filling on each round cookie and top with a cut-out cookie. Place a red candy heart in the center of each. Leftover filling can be used to sandwich the small hearts together.

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen