Chocolate Shortbread Heart Pops

Heart-shaped cookies on a stick pretty much say it all.

They’re fun, they take the guilt out of eating a butter-filled cookie (because how bad can something on a stick really be? Except for corn dogs?), and the heart shape conveniently takes the place of the Valentine’s card that you forgot to get for your loved one. Pipe “I LOVE YOU” on a cookie on a stick and you’re set for the year in the love department.

OH- and the best thing is that this recipe works when not in heart form- so make it in August when Valentine’s so doesn’t matter and you can skip the whole heart-cookie-cutter step. Just bake it and eat it solo. Don’t share.

(This probably shouldn’t have to be said, ever, but make sure that when you remove your cookie sheet from the oven you don’t drop it all over the inside of the oven, okay? I’m full of really helpful baking tips. A total resource.)

Adapted from my Classic Shortbread Cookie recipe…

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

ROYAL ICING (optional):

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons Meringue Powder

6 tablespoons warm water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

6 – 8 drops red food coloring (optional)
1. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder and salt together and set aside.
2. Cream butter with a stand mixer (or hand-held mixer) until light (2 – 3 minutes), then add sugar and beat for additional 2 – 3 minutes (scraping sides of bowl a couple of times throughout). Add vanilla. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until dough is just incorporated together into a ball.
3. Scrape dough into a large ziploc bag and roll out until mostly even thickness within the square bag (or pat dough into a flat disc between two sheets of plastic wrap, rolling out to an even square about 12″ big). Chill until very firm (at least an hour).
4. Cut open ziploc bag to expose dough (or remove top layer of plastic wrap) and roll dough gently to smooth out to just under 1/2 inch thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out dough hearts and gently press into cookie pop sticks. Chill until cookie shapes are firm before baking (at least 20 minutes).
5. Preheat oven to 325°, and bake shortbread until firm to the touch (about 25 minutes). Cool on a wire rack. Decorate with icing if you’d like, or just serve/eat as is.
6. ROYAL ICING (optional step!): in a large bowl of a stand mixer, mix sugar and meringue powder together and add warm water, vanilla and food coloring. Beat with the whisk attachment for up to 5 minutes. Icing should be fairly stiff. Fill a small amount into a piping bag (with #3 piping tip if you happen to have), and pipe an outline around hearts and let dry for an hour. Add up to an additional tablespoon of warm water to remaining icing and whisk until smooth and the consistency of honey. Fill piping bag (with #2 tip if you happen to have) and flood hearts with icing up to the heart border you created earlier. Allow to dry for at least an hour or ideally overnight.
7. Indulge!
Tips:
- The chocolate matters! I love love love the Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa Powder from King Arthur Flour, but use any good cocoa powder (just not the questionable stuff at the back of your pantry from three years ago).
- The ziploc technique changed my life. Rolling the dough within the bag— what a revelation! I think I learned it from guru Dorie Greenspan but I can’t really remember. But think about it: no flour, no rolling mess. Just roll evenly in the bag, then cut the bag open to get at the dough when you’re ready to use your cookie cutter. (Just make sure the dough is cold evenly rolled- not 1/2″ thick in some areas and 1/8″ in others.)
- Baking shortbread is a bit tricky because you think it’s done and it’s so not. Make sure it’s done- don’t cut the time short… like I have so many times before. Press it gently with a brave finger to see- if it’s still soft, don’t cave in and take it out of the oven. Chocolate shortbread is REALLY hard to tell when it’s done because it’s brown to begin with. You just have to go with your instinct. (Even if you get it wrong, it will still taste kick-ass. Just bake it longer next time you make it!)
- Not into hearts? Screw hearts! Cut circles, squares, whatever. Or gently press the dough into a parchment-lined 9″ springform cake pan and bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Score when still hot and then cut along the lines after the shortbread has cooled.
- WARNING: be careful when removing from oven. It can be a treacherous endeavor.
- Happy Valentine’s Month :).
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February 9th, 2013 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: Chocolate, Cookies