Valentines Cookies

Valentines Cookies are the perfect way to celebrate Valentine's day or the entire holiday season. They feature buttery shortbread, rich chocolate, and sugary sprinkles. You can make a small batch for just you and a significant other or a large batch to spread the holiday spirit to your friends and family.

Shortbread. Sweet, buttery, golden shortbread. Around the holidays, our diet is mostly shortbread cookies because they're so addictive. We joke that it is literally humanly impossible to only eat one shortbread cookie because they're just so darn delicious. These shortbread cookies are more decadent and rich than your average holiday sugar cookie. They're just enough sweet and salty, making for the perfect buttery cookie. As chocolate lovers, we always dip shortbread cookies in semisweet chocolate for our Valentines Day Shortbread Cookies.

Valentines Cookies is one of our most coveted recipes. It yields a large batch that's perfect for sharing. These shortbread and chocolate chip cookies are also fun to decorate with holiday-themed sprinkles & fun cookie cutter shapes. The shapes you can cut the dough into are limitless! We find heart shaped cookies are appropriate all year round since there's always a reason to celebrate and share love through food.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• How to Store Heart Shaped Valentines Cookies
• To Freeze These Butter Cookies, Follow These Simple Steps
• Top Tip
• Do You Love Sweets?
• Valentines Cookies
• Food safety

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter - Room temperature butter is best for the cookie dough texture and adds a buttery flavor. Use European or American butter. European has a higher fat content resulting in a crisper, buttery cookie. American butter has higher water content, which will make the cookie less buttery but still delicious.
• Granulated Sugar - Adds sweetness and helps the cookies spread as the sugar melts.
• All-purpose flour - The foundation for the cookies.
• Vanilla extract - Adds complexity and sweetness to the shortbread cookie dough. For a stronger vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean paste.
• Salt - Balances the sweetness and sugar.
• Vegetable shortening - Makes the cookies soft and tender.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips - We recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips because they are the perfect balance of sweet and rich and pair perfectly with the shortbread.
• Decorative sprinkles - Adds crunchy and sugary flavor crystals.

Instructions

1. Mix ingredients - Using a stand mixer fitted with attachment or hand mixer, beat butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly add flour and mix on low until the dough is just mixed & smooth.
2. Roll and cool dough - On a floured surface, roll the dough into a flat circle, place in cellophane or a food storage container, and cool in the freezer for 20 minutes.
3. Heat the oven - While dough is in freezer, heat the oven to 350°F.
4. Cut cookies with cookie cutter - Remove the dough from the freezer and roll into a half-inch sheet. Use a cookie cutter of choice and cut the dough. Form the excess dough into a ball, roll it out into a sheet, and cut with the cookie cutter. Continue until all the dough is used.
5. Freeze cookies then bake - Place the cookie dough shapes directly onto baking sheets and place in the freezer for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the freezer and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on a cooling rack.
6. Microwave chocolate chips and shortening - In a microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and shortening for 1 minute or until the chocolate is melted. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth.
7. Dip cookies in chocolate then add sprinkles - Dip half of each cookie in the chocolate and dust with pink sprinkles. Place the chocolate-dipped cookies on wax paper and allow the chocolate to cool and harden.

Substitutions

• Gluten free - use gluten-free all-purpose flour to make these cookies gluten-free. We recommend this gluten free flour for the best results.
• Vanilla bean paste - use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract for a richer vanilla flavor.
• Dark chocolate Chips - if you prefer the intensely flavored and lightly bitter taste of dark chocolate, use dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.
• White chocolate chips - Replace the semi-sweet chocolate chips with white chocolate chips for added sweetness.

Variations

• No sprinkles - Omit sprinkles if you want to enjoy the pure combination of chocolate and shortbread
• Drizzled Chocolate - Instead of dipping half the cookie in chocolate, you can dip the whole thing or you can drizzle chocolate on the cookies to ensure there is chocolate with each bite.
• Other shapes - Use a non-heart shape cookie cutter to make the cookies into any other shape you want.
• Ice Cream - Enjoy these cookies warm with ice cream to get if you want to be extra indulgent.

Equipment

This chocolate cookie recipes requires common kitchen essentials. You will need a strainer or whisk to sift the flour, a mixing bowl, an electric handheld mixer or stand mixer, cookie dough scooper, parchment paper or silicone mat, baking sheet, and cooling rack.

How to Store Heart Shaped Valentines Cookies

Cookies have two lifecycles: pre-oven and post-oven. You can enjoy fresh cookies all the time if you plan ahead. It doesn't take a lot of work and it pays dividends for as long as you have cookie craving (as in, always).

Once cookies are baked, keep them in an airtight container or bag or under a cloche. They will stay good for 5-7 days.

To Freeze These Butter Cookies, Follow These Simple Steps

If you don't think you can eat an entire batch of these heart cookies, we recommend freezing your cookies. This will allow you to make one single batch and bake as you need, so you don't have to commit to an entire 30-40 cookies in one week.

1. Simply make a batch of cookie dough.
2. Scoop cookie dough balls using your cookie scoop.
3. Place the balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet that will easily fit in your freezer. They can be arranged very close together since they aren't going into the oven.
4. Place the cookie dough balls into the freezer and freeze for 1-2 hours or until completely frozen solid.
5. Remove the balls and place them in an airtight container or bag. Label the container or bag with the date.
6. Keep frozen for 4-6 weeks. Before baking, allow the cookie dough to thaw for a couple of hours.

Top Tip

Once the chocolate is melted, promptly dip the cookies in the chocolate to ensure that the chocolate does not cool and harden.

Do You Love Sweets?

For more cookie recipes like these valentines day cookies, check out Crispy Chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies, Salted Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies, Matcha Cookies, Chocolate and Coffee Biscotti, and Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie. If you are looking for a cake to celebrate the holiday season or Valentines Day, check out our Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake.

Do you love these Valentines Cookies? Rate the recipe and tell me more in the comments below!

Food safety

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.