Chocolate Valentine Cookies

Posted by Lori:
Yesterday, since my children were out of school, we planned a bigger-than-usual lunch. My son, Zachary, decided he wanted to make a dessert so I suggested these cookies. I had used the actual cookie part of the recipe before, but never with the icing listed. Instead, I used a buttercream icing and colored it pink, making heart sandwiches. I wasn't sure I would like this cherry mixture, but it's really mild and it actually tastes great!

Chocolate Valentine Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

In large bowl, beat sugar and 1 cup butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, vanilla, and egg; blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda. Chill dough 1 hour for easier handling.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. On floured surface, roll out dough, 1/3 at a time, to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with floured 2 1/2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place half of the cut out hearts 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Cut a 1-inch heart shape from the center of remaining hearts. Place cut out hearts on cookie sheets.

Chill excess dough and re-roll. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from the cookie sheets; cool.

FROSTING:
2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2-3 tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
Red food coloring
In small bowl, beat frosting ingredients, adding 1 tablespoon cherry juice at a time for desired spreading consistency. Tint with red food color. Frost bottom side of whole cookie. Top with cut out cookie. 4 dozen sandwich cookies.

I laughed because Zachary couldn't figure out why he didn't end up with many cookies. (There were more than shown here, though.) I told him it might be because of that one ginormous (Yes, it's a word. It became a word in 2007) cookie that would be equal to 5 or 6! Also, even the smaller heart cookie cutter was pretty big, so he didn't make sandwich cookies, just iced the tops. Great job, Zachary!