Quick Chocolate Hearts for Valentine’s Day

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Recently, my go-to cookie has been a simple, chocolate spritz cookie. It’s surprising because my cookie press had been gathering dust in a remote cabinet for years.

I rediscovered this helpful baking tool when I wanted to make cookies in a hurry. By using a cookie press, you can press out shapes without having to go through the lengthier process of chilling the dough, rolling it, cutting out cookies and rerolling the scraps to recut more.

These are crisp, chocolaty cookies that aren’t too sweet. They’re tiny, so you don’t have to worry about overindulging.

So, for Valentine’s Day my granddaughter and I made some chocolate spritz cookies after preschool. We’re going to package small handfuls in cellophane bags, tie each bag with a bow, and give them as gifts, along with a homemade Valentine card.

Valentine Chocolate Spritz
2 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
2 ¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract

Heat oven to 400⁰F.

With a serrated knife, cut chocolate into chunks to make it easier to melt. Place chocolate in a wide, shallow, microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium-high for 1 minute. Stir and microwave, checking at 15 to 20 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg and beat well. Add melted and cooled chocolate and stir to combine. Add flour mixture and extract and mix well to form a smooth dough.

Spoon half the dough into a cookie press. Press cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 12 minutes, until cookie is baked through and bottoms are dry.

Use a thin-edged spatula to remove cookies to cookie rack. Cool completely. Makes about 40 cookies.

Note: If you don’t have a cookie press, you can roll the dough in balls, place on a cookie sheet, flatten the balls with your palm, and bake.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Homemade Cookies Cook Book.

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