Chocolate Filled Peppermint Valentine Heart Cookies Food

CHOCOLATE FILLED PEPPERMINT VALENTINE HEART COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. With an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat together the butter, 3/4 cup shortening, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy; beat in the eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, about 1 cup at a time, until the mixture forms a soft dough. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, cover, and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• To make filling, melt 1 3/4 cups of milk chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening in the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. Stir the mixture until very smooth, and remove the filling from the heat to cool and slightly thicken.
• Remove one piece of cookie dough from refrigerator at a time, and working on a floured surface, roll the cookie dough out 1/8-inch thick, and cut out 120 hearts (total) with a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place half the hearts onto ungreased baking sheets. Carefully spread those hearts with about a teaspoon of the chocolate filling, avoiding the edges, and top each with another heart cookie. Gently pinch the edges of both cookies together to enclose the filling.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets before removing to finish cooling on racks.
• For peppermint drizzle, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1 drop of peppermint extract (to taste), red food coloring to your desired shade of pink or red, and milk as needed in a bowl to make a smooth, thin icing. For chocolate drizzle, melt 1/4 cup of milk chocolate chips with 2 teaspoons of vegetable shortening over hot (not boiling) water in a double boiler; stir and heat until the mixture is thin enough to drip in strings from a spoon.
• Drizzle each cooled cookie with a little peppermint drizzle on one side, and a little chocolate drizzle on the other. Let the cookies stand so the drizzle sets, about 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT HEARTS

Steps:

• Stir together confectioners' sugar, corn syrup, 1 tablespoon water, peppermint extract, and butter until a dough forms. Transfer to a work surface lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar and knead until smooth, dusting dough with more sugar as necessary, until no longer sticky. Form into a flat disk, place between two pieces of parchment, and roll out to a 1/4-inch-thick round. Remove top piece of parchment and generously dust with confectioners' sugar. Replace parchment and flip. Remove parchment from other side and generously dust with confectioners' sugar. Stamp out shapes with a 1 1/2-to-2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Transfer cutouts to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gather scraps, reroll, and stamp out more hearts. Let stand, uncovered, until hard and dry, about 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Balance one heart on a fork, with tip of heart facing end of tines. Dip into chocolate until fully submerged; lift up and gently shake fork back and forth to remove excess chocolate. Scrape bottom of fork against side of bowl to remove any remaining excess chocolate. Tilt handleof fork upward and allow heart to gently slide onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining hearts and chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is hard and dry, about 1 hour. Serve, or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 month.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high spped for 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, and add egg and then yolk, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract. Slowly add flour mixture, and beat until just incorporated. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
• Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Using a 2 inch round cutter, cut out circles, and place 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Roll and cut scraps onces. Freeze cookies until firm, about 15 minutes. Repeat with remaining disk.
• Bake until the cookies are dry to the touch, about 12 minutes. Transfer parchment, with cookies, to wire racks, and let cool.
• Sift crushed cany, and separate larger pieces from dust, reserving both. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. Remove from heat. Dunk cookies into melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn to coat, let excess drip off, and gently scrape bottom agains edge of bowl. Place on parchment lined baking sheets, and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of either candy pieces or dust on top. Repeat, sprinkling half of the cookies with dust and half with candy pieces. Refrigerate until set, up to 3 hours. Decorated cookies are best served the same day.

CHOCOLATE-FILLED COOKIES WITH PEPPERMINT FROSTING

Steps:

• Cream shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture., Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. Break each candy bar into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. square cookie cutter. Place half of squares 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Place a chocolate piece in the center of each square; cover with remaining squares, pressing edges to seal., Bake until edges are golden brown, 9-11 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, combine confectioners' sugar, butter, extract and enough milk to reach a spreading consistency. Spread over cookies; sprinkle with candies., To make ahead: Dough can be made 2 days in advance. Wrap in plastic and place in a resealable bag. Refrigerate., Freeze option: Place wrapped dough in resealable plastic freezer bag and freeze. If necessary, let dough stand 15 minutes at room temperature before cutting. Prepare and bake cookies as directed. Iced cookies can be frozen up to 1 month., , ,