Valentine's Cookies three ways

Another fun way to say "I love you" with food this Valentine's Day is with Sugar Cookies.   One simple cookie can be decorated three ways to really express how you feel.   Tender and full of flavor, these are always a hit!   I made raspberry flavored sandwiches, decorated and chocolate dipped.

Valentine's Sugar Cookies three ways

Ingredients:

• 4 1/2 C sifted flour
• 4 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 lb unsalted butter
• 2 C sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C milk
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• zest from 1 lemon

Directions:   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.   Butter your baking sheets and sift together your dry ingredients.   In a food processor, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs and mix well.   Add the dry ingredients a bit at a time, alternating with the milk and vanilla.   Finally add the lemon zest and beat well.   Wrap and chill for an hour.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces.   Roll 1 piece at a time on a floured board and cut with cookie cutters.   I used a ruffled edge heart shaped cookie cutter for all then used the smaller version to remove the center of a dozen for my sandwiches.   Bake 8 minutes and cool on racks.

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

• 2 C confectioners sugar
• 2 egg white or use meringue powder (2 t powder with 2 T water = 1 egg white)
• 6-8 drops of fresh lemon juice
• Food Coloring

Directions:   Mix the sugar, egg white (or substitute) and lemon juice in a medium sized bowl.   It should have the consistency of heavy cream.   Add your choice of food coloring in batches to decorate your cooled cookies.

To assemble

I made one batch of royal icing and flavored it with raspberry extract and a bit of red food coloring to get the pink color.   I then made sandwiches.

Another batch I melted dark chocolate and dipped one side of a cookie, letting it dry on a rack.

Finally, I made royal icing in two colors and decorated the cookies to my liking!   Have fun!