Valentine’s Day Cookies

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Say the sweetest “I love you!” with these soft, buttery, chocolate-dipped Valentine’s Cookies! (Cookies > Cards 🥰 #Trust) This recipe is so easy and so budget-friendly. Have you seen what people are charging for a dozen cookies lately? Highway robbery!! PS when I tell you this is such an easy recipe, I mean it. You can even make the sugar cookie dough ahead of time, so all you have to do on the big day is cut, bake, and dip.

It’s a genius move to make your cookie dough ahead of time and not just for convenience’s sake. Chilling the dough hardens the butter and helps prevent the spread of your cookies, so they hold their shape better. Resting your dough for multiple days also evaporates moisture, which concentrates flavors and creates a crisper cookie. You can refrigerate cookie dough up to 5 days in advance.

Make Cookies Without A Cutter

You don’t need to buy a special cookie cutter to create the loveliest heart-shaped cookies. Instead, draw or print a heart shape, cut it out, and use it as a guide. Then, all you have to do is trace your knife along the cookie dough to create perfect heart-shaped cookies.

How To Fix Cookie Shapes

If you open your oven to find that your cookies have lost their shape, it can be an easy fix. First, allow the cookies to cool on the sheet pan for a minute, then reshape them by pressing the cookie cutter into them or tracing a knife around the paper cutout. Work quickly; the more the cookie cools, the more likely it is to shatter.

Storing Valentine’s Day Cookies

You can store these sugar cookies in an air-tight container for up to a week at room temperature. So feel free to make them a few days ahead. You can also freeze them in a freezer-safe container, separated with layers of parchment or wax paper, for up to 3 months. Don’t refrigerate sugar cookies, as it can dry them out and dull their flavor.

Print

Valentine’s Day Cookies

Say the sweetest I love you with these soft, buttery, chocolate-dipped Valentine's Cookies! Customize them with a white, dark, or milk chocolate dip.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost ($7.37 recipe / $0.61 serving)

Prep Time 50 minutes

Cook Time 7 minutes

Resting Time 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 27 minutes

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 233kcal

Author Monti - Budget Bytes

Equipment

• Baking Sheet

Ingredients

• 12 Tbsp salted butter, softened* $1.78
• 1 cup sugar $0.32
• 1 tsp vanilla $0.57
• 1 large egg $0.42
• 2 cups all-purpose flour $0.24
• 3/4 tsp baking powder $0.05
• 1 lb melting chocolate* $3.99

Instructions

• In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the softened butter & cup of sugar until fluffy.
• Add the beaten egg and vanilla to the creamed butter and mix to incorporate.
• In a separate bowl, mix the all-purpose flour and the baking powder.
• Add half the flour to the creamed butter and mix just until a wet dough forms. Add the second half of the flour and mix gently until a stiffer dough forms. Roll the dough into a ball.
• Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll the dough ¼ inch thick. Cool for thirty minutes in the fridge. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
• Once the dough has hardened, cut out the cookies, remove the scraps from the cookie sheet, and leave the cookies behind. Roll any scraps out on a separate piece of parchment, and chill before cutting them into cookies.
• Place the sheet of parchment paper with the cookies on a baking sheet. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 3 minutes. Next, rotate the pan, so the front faces the back—then bake for 3 to 4 minutes until they slightly lighten in color.
• Cool the cookies in the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Decorate when cookies have cooled.

To Melt the Chocolate in the Microwave: Melt the chocolate in a bowl wide enough to dip the cookies into but small enough to create a deep pool of chocolate. If using a microwave, melt in 20-second increments, stirring after each.

To Melt the Chocolate on the Stove Top: If using the stove, place a small wide-mouthed bowl in a pan filled a third of the way with water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat. Leave the bowl in the water and stir until the chocolate melts.

• Dip half of the cookie in the chocolate and garnish if you'd like to. Then place back on the cooling rack, allowing the chocolate to harden.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*If using unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground salt (like fine sea salt) or 1 teaspoon of coarsely ground salt (like kosher salt) to the butter

*Use dark, milk, or white melting chocolate to decorate cookies. You can also use chocolate chips, but they will dry with a foggy finish.

Nutrition

Serving: 2cookies | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 63mg | Fiber: 2g

How to Make Valentine’s Day Cookies - Step by Step Photos

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to whip the 12 tablespoons of softened butter & cup of sugar until fluffy.

Add the beaten egg and the teaspoon of vanilla to the creamed butter and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl, mix the 2 cups of all-purpose flour and the 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder.

Add half the flour to the creamed butter and mix just until a wet dough forms. Add the second half of the flour and mix gently until a stiffer dough forms.

Roll the dough into a ball, but do so quickly. You don’t want to overwork the dough, as it will create a tough texture.

Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll the dough ¼ inch thick, or about the thickness of an ear lobe. Cool for thirty minutes in the fridge. Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat it to 350°F.

Once the dough has hardened, cut out the cookies, remove the scraps from the cookie sheet, and leave the cookies behind. Roll any scraps out on a separate piece of parchment, and chill before cutting them into cookies.

Place the sheet of parchment paper with the cookies on a cookie sheet or sheet pan. Bake the cookies at 350°F for 3 minutes. Next, rotate the sheet pan so the front faces the back—then bake for 3 to 4 minutes until they slightly lighten in color.

Cool the cookies in the sheet pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Decorate when cookies have cooled.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl wide enough for to dip the cookies into but small enough to create a deep pool of chocolate. If using a microwave, melt in 20-second increments, stirring after each. If using the stove, place the bowl in a pan filled a third of the way with water. Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat. Leave the bowl in the water and stir until the chocolate melts.

Dip half of the cookie in the chocolate and garnish if you’d like to. Then place it back on the cooling rack, allowing the chocolate to harden. Give these amazingly cute Valentine’s Day cookies out to your loved ones, but make sure to save some for yourself!!

Other Great Cookie Recipes

Peanut Butter Blossoms

$4.10 recipe / $0.23 each

Chocolate Chip Cookies

$4.58 recipe / $0.25 serving

Sugar Cookies

$4.41 recipe / $0.37 serving

Snickerdoodles

$3.83 recipe / $0.24 serving

The post Valentine’s Day Cookies appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the uses of Thai spice?

We all have heard the term Thai spices, but we don't understand what it really means. But when we discover our mouths water, we wonder why we haven't been eating more of it.

But it isn't just any old spice. It's an ingredient that can add flavor and depth in dishes that otherwise would be bland.

Although there are many recipes that call for Thai spices in large numbers, very few recipes actually use the true thing. So let's help you figure out how to ensure you're adding these delicious flavors to your meals.

Thais have been using spices and herbs to flavor food and drinks since ancient times. Thai derives its name from the Sanskrit phrase "to cook".

Today, Thais still love spicy food. This preference is often explained by the hot climate in Thailand that makes it difficult to stay warm while drinking hot drinks. Thais consume more chili peppers than Americans and Europeans.

Visit a local Asian grocery shop to find out more about Thai spices. There will be a large selection of ingredients available including dried chilies (fresh basil leaves), curry paste, ground black pepper, and curry paste.

Also, you may find whole peppercorns.

Thai cuisine has two kinds of spices: wet and dry. Dry spices are generally ground, while wet spices can be crushed or pounded finely.

Dry spices are added directly to a dish. Ground red pepper can be sprinkled on chicken soup, for example. Mixing wet spices with oil or butter can create a paste.

Wet spices can be used in sauces, dressings, and marinades. Wet spices are used in many dishes, including fish sauce, oyster, sesame, sesame, sesame oil and curry paste.

To make Thai food at your home, it is important to understand which spices are best with particular ingredients.

Red pepper flakes can be used to season beef. White pepper is better for seafood such as shrimp.

If you don’t have access or the means to order from an Asian market, it is possible to order online. This market has everything you need, including dried chilies as well as exotic herbs and spices.

You might want to try these Thai recipes next time you feel hungry.

What is the importance and purpose of spices?

A spice can be described as a seasoning to enhance flavour in food. Spices can come in many forms: powders or liquids, oils, pastes or seeds, as well as liquids and gums. They can also be called condiments or flavours.

Spice up your meals with a variety of spices. For extra flavor and excitement, you can add many spices to your dishes.

A few drops of hot sauce can make a soup taste better. Mixing a couple of cayenne peppers in a cup rice can make it even more delicious.

Fresh ingredients are the best way to try new spicing techniques. If you buy dried herbs, look for those that are organic. Fresh herbs are more durable than dried herbs.

Certain spices are essential in cooking. However, you may prefer to avoid some. Cinnamon sticks contain high amounts of coumarin, so they should not be eaten if you have a history of liver disease. Ginger also has coumarin, although it's less concentrated. It is safe for people without a history or liver disease.

What are the main spices, condiments, seasonings and herbs used in Thai cuisine?

Thai cuisine is a combination of influences from all over Asia. Its roots are found in India and China, as well as Southeast Asia.

Freshness is the most important ingredient in Thai food. There is much more flavour when ingredients are picked early and cooked quickly. This is why meat, fish and vegetables, as well fruits, vegetables, herbs, seeds, and nuts are often eaten raw, then heated.

Sauces and spices add depth and flavor to dishes. Fresh basil, cilantro, mint, coriander (cilantro), lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, garlic, chillies, chilli paste, soy sauce, tamarind juice, oyster sauce, palm sugar, coconut milk, lime leaves, galangal root, curry powder, shrimp paste, fish sauce, tamarind water, rice vinegar, etc. are commonly used.

What are the best Thai spices?

Galangal, coriander and turmeric are the best Thai spices. Other good spices include clove, cardamom and black peppercorn as well as cloves, star anise and cloves.

Other valuable spices include bay leaves, curry, pandan, curry leaves. Kaffir lime leaves. Vanilla beans. Tamarind pods. Lemon grass. Basil.

Thai food can Paprika be used?

Yes. Yes.

Thai cuisine, Mexican, Spanish and Indian food, as well as Thai and Balkan dishes, contain paprika.

Paprika is a product that dates back over 5,000-years to Ancient Greece. The Hungarian language is what "paprika" means.

Which Thai spice do I need to cook Thai food at home?

In order to cook authentic Thai food at home you will need five spices: black pepper (cayenne), coriander seeds (coriander seeds), turmeric and cinnamon. Each of these ingredients has its distinct flavour profile and plays a vital role in creating delicious dishes.

Cinnamon brings out the sweetness of black pepper, while white pepper enhances the savoury flavours. Coriander seeds provide a spicy kick and turmeric gives curry powder the yellow color it is known for. Cayenne peppers provide heat and cilantro provides freshness. A final ingredient is cinnamon, which adds depth and complexity.

You can find each of these spices at your local grocery store, but if you'd instead buy them online, here are our recommendations for where to shop.

Statistics

• India contributes to 75% of global spice production. (en.wikipedia.org)
• It has been estimated that around 1,000 tons of pepper and 1,000 tons of other common spices were imported into Western Europe each year during the Late Middle Ages. (en.wikipedia.org)
• According to the McCormick Science Institute, indigenous Indian spices were cultivated as early as the 8th century BC in the gardens of Babylon. (spicecravings.com)

External Links

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

• PubMed - Acute Inflammation & Metabolism


• PubMed: Aging and inflammation in the environment

penzeys.com

• HomePage

amazon.com

• Amazon.com. Spend less. Smile more.


• Amazon.com : Morton & Bassett Whole Nutmeg 1.9 Oz : Nutmeg Spices And Herbs : Grocery & Gourmet Food

healthline.com

• Is Pink Himalayan Salt Better Than Regular Salt?


• Turmeric and Curcumin: 10 Health Benefits

How To

How to cut Shiitake Mushrooms

The shiitakes seem to be doing well. There's nothing wrong about them. They are fine. But how can we make them cut without hurting ourselves? We've tried everything, even scissors. They keep falling out of our hands. Is there something wrong?

There's a trick to that. To make the mushroom stem stick out, wrap a rubber band around it and twist it tightly. By doing this, you won’t slip and get cut.

You might think that it seems too simple. It is. But it's also very powerful.

Because the rubber band makes the stem slippery it is easy to pick it up. It's a good idea to secure the stem.

Do it! It's so easy to chop mushrooms now.