Description
Sweet chocolate shortbread heart cookies melt hearts with rich cocoa flavor and delicate crumble. Romantic bakers can easily craft these charming treats perfect for special moments and passionate celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Decorations:
- 4 ounces (115 grams) semi-sweet or white chocolate, melted
- Valentines Day sprinkles
Instructions
- Create a velvety chocolate dough by whipping butter and sugar until airy and pale. Incorporate vanilla and cocoa powder, blending thoroughly until a rich, smooth mixture forms.
- Gently fold in flour and salt, working the ingredients until a cohesive, tender dough emerges. Divide the dough into two equal portions, shaping each into a compact disk.
- Encase the dough disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes, allowing the butter to solidify and flavors to meld.
- Heat the oven to 325F (165C) and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper. Dust a clean surface with flour and roll out the chilled dough to a uniform 14-inch thickness.
- Carefully press a heart-shaped cookie cutter into the dough, creating delicate heart silhouettes. Collect and re-roll any remaining dough scraps to maximize cookie yield.
- Arrange the heart-shaped cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing them slightly apart to prevent merging during baking.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, watching carefully to ensure the edges set without browning. The cookies should maintain a soft, tender texture.
- Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Optional decorative step: Melt chocolate and either dip half of each cookie or drizzle artistically across the surface. While the chocolate remains glossy, sprinkle festive Valentine’s Day decorations.
- Let the chocolate set completely before serving these romantic, rich chocolate shortbread hearts.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened at room temperature for smooth, creamy mixing without overmixing, which can make cookies tough.
- Chill dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain crisp heart shapes during baking.
- Use high-quality cocoa powder for intense chocolate flavor and deep color in shortbread cookies.
- Experiment with alternative flours like almond or gluten-free blends for dietary modifications without compromising texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 141
- Sugar: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 0.1 mg
- Fat: 9.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.3 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg