Show your love for your Valentine by baking up a batch of Big Hearted Butter Shortbread. Crisp and tender with some smooth sweetness from the icing, these cookies are perfect with a cup of tea. Cupid approved.

Big Hearted Butter Shortbread

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325℉. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy, about a minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.

4. On low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until it is incorporated and the dough holds together in large clumps and comes away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Form the dough into a smooth ball.

6. Lightly flour a work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use a 4 1/2 or 3 1/2-inch-long heart-shaped cutter to make dough hearts. Use a thin metal spatula to transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, placing them about 1 inch apart. Gather together the dough scraps, roll, and cut out additional hearts.

7. Bake until the edges and bottoms of the cookies are lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

8. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. Make the glaze then use a thin metal spatula to spread half of each cookie heart with glaze. Let the cookies sit until the glaze is firm. The cookies can be layered between sheets of wax paper in a tightly covered container and stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Makes nine 4 1/2-inch-long heart cookies, or thirteen 3 1/2-inch-long heart cookies

Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir the powdered sugar and vanilla together with enough cream to form a thick, spreadable glaze.

Recipes from Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans

A sweet love song is the perfect match up for sweet heart cookies.

Enter ‘Let It Go’ by Virginia-base Lauren Hoffman (and we do know that Virginia is for lovers).

The opening guitar draws you right in. Then Lauren’s voice sashays into your heart while the hopeful lyrics wash over you.

If there is something I have learned in this life, it is to let it go to let love in.

“So whatever can be lost let’s let it go
Leave the stars to rule the sky and let the rivers flow
In your heart I see a sunflower full in bloom
And all I want to do is be in love with you”

Check out Lauren Hoffman on her Website where you can link to buy the music.

Cheers!