These Valentine cookies are not only pretty, but most importantly they are delicious. They are made of a lemon shortbread and decorated with a lemon icing. Often these stylized cookies give way to aesthetics and forget that the flavor still rules supreme. These are both tasty and gorgeous!
Order my new cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies, now!
Did you know that Saint Valentine’s Day dates back to Pope Gelasius in 500 AD, not the Hallmark Cards of 1910? The original holiday was a religious one, with nothing to do with romance, flowers, chocolate or red royal icing. The modern Valentine’s Day must have been recreated by a pastry chef. It is an excuse to make sweet, pretty, heart-shaped treats like this Valentine cookies. There really isn’t another time of the year when heart-shaped desserts are permissible. It’s a shame really, but Valentine’s Day owns the shape, so we must take advantage of the opportunity.
As you know I am trying to thin out my baking pantry of all the loot various companies send me to test out and review. This scale is one of them. I think it is lovely and it works well, but I have several scales and honestly I prefer digital. This scale by Eat Smart can weigh up to 11-pounds, has a nice big hopper (bowl) and is stylish in a retro way. The down side is that is requires a kitchen that can handle its formidable size. This company also makes a tiny Digital Scale
How to Make Heart Shaped Valentine Cookies
See me make these step by step here and find the full recipe at the end of this post!
To make the Valentine cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Remove the rind, with some of the pith and chop it up into small pieces. Grind it up in a coffee or Spice-and-Nut Grinder
Until it is in very fine pieces. It should almost be powdery. If there are large chunks the cookies will not hold together when rolled out.
In a food processor grind some regular granulated sugar for about 1 minute and then measure out 1/2 cup of the superfine sugar for your recipe. The rest of the sugar can be saved for another recipe.
Beat the butter in a stand mixer with the Beater Blade Paddle Attachment 
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
Knead very lightly until it is a smooth ball.
Use your favorite cookie cutters.
Dust the dough with flour and roll to about a scant 1/4-inch thick rectangle. The dough does not need to chill first.
You can re-roll the scraps once, beyond that it starts to get tough.
Position the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. If you are baking both sheets at once you will want to switch from top to bottom and back to front. Cool on a rack.
Meanwhile make the royal icing:
Combine all the meringue powder, cream of tartar, confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice in a stand mixer. It will be quite thick.
To decorate the cookies follow these instructions.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature (see note)
- 1/2 cup superfine sugar see notes
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- rind of 1 lemon see step-by-step instructions in the blog post
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour measured by stirring flour and then using scoop and sweep method
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Remove the lemon rind, with some of the pith and chop it up into small pieces. Grind it up in a coffee or Spice-and-Nut Grinder until it is in very fine pieces. It should almost be powdery. If there are large chunks the cookies will not hold together when rolled out.
- In a food processor, grind some regular granulated sugar for about 1 minute and then measure out 1/2 cup of the superfine sugar for your recipe. The rest of the sugar can be saved for another recipe.
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer with the Beater Blade Paddle Attachment on medium-high, until it is smooth. Gradually add the sugar, then vanilla and lemon, mixing until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. In thirds, add the flour and salt. Mix until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead very lightly until it is a smooth ball. Use your favorite cookie cutters. Dust the dough with flour and roll to about a scant 1/4-inch thick rectangle. The dough does not need to chill first. You can re-roll the scraps once, beyond that it starts to get tough.
- Position the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. If you are baking both sheets at once you will want to switch from top to bottom and back to front. Cool on a rack.
Icing
- Combine all the meringue powder, cream of tartar, confectioner's sugar and lemon juice in a stand mixer. It will be quite thick.
Not a huge fan of chocolate but I do make some heart-shaped cookies with a cream cheese icing that are pretty tasty.
Chocolate souffles are a yearly tradition, but I can’t wait to make these cookies!
Kinda silly, but my mom used to make heart shaped Jello Jigglers. Not really a dessert…but I think of them every Valentine’s Day.
I’m not a chocolate fan (gasp, I know), but give me anything with caramel and I’m happy!!
my favorite valentine dessert is truffles, dark chocolate 🙂
Gyönyörűek. Beautifull.
My favorite Valentine dessert would just be plain old Salted Caramel Tuffles:)
My fave Valentine’s dessert would be chocolate molten lava cake.
We make disgustingly sweet soft sugar cookies (almost like little cakes) with lots of pink frosting on top.
Oh I disagree. I think you could have these wonderful cookies anytime of the year. The first day of school, even just to say I love you. My favorite Valentine’s dessert???? Well, its always been a big rice krispy treat heart,( on a stick) covered with white chocolate and Valentine sprinkles. Wrap them in a pink cellophane bag, tie a big ribbon and everyone wants one. They are not only yummy, but beautiful. Make them once and your kids will want them every year, and in between too. Its all about the “us” this time of year. Beautiful cookies Zoe. I definitely will try them. In fact they are going to be footballs at the Super Bowl party. Love the scale, would look great next to my red Kitchenaide.
My favorite Valentine’s Day dessert is Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Anything chocolate…maybe individual chocolate souffles. Love the scale! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the cookies. The lemon made my mouth water. My favorite valentine’s day dessert are Conversation Hearts. Maybe not traditional dessert but I ate them after supper tonight so it counts!
My favorite Valentine dessert would be molten chocolate souffle. Thank you for the opportunity to win this kitchen scale!
Chocolate cover strawberries
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I love chocolate lava cakes in individual ramekins, of course topped with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream 🙂
Oh gosh hard to pick just one…..well it will have to be the one I remember from my Valentine Parties at school ~ way back when! There was a little bakery that would make a sugar cookie that was dipped with a red icing. Took me for every to get a recipe that was like it but I did not give up and wal la after much testing I got it …I got it! YEA! Wow it would be so cute to put the little red heart cookies in the little red scale wouldn’t …. :0) perfect! Happy Valentines Everyone!!
Chocolate mousse!
Cream puffs with caramel tops… o yum!
Darck chocolate anything, I love dark chocolate. Happy Valentine to you, your cookies look wonderful !
My fave Valentine dessert would be a chocolate souffle. Love it!
Molten Chocolate Cake! Does it get any better than that?
My favorite V-Day dessert would have to be Snoconuts from Morley’s. I have yet to try and make them, but I’ve seen a few recipes. They are basically fancy Mounds bars. But I always get them for myself for V-day, so that no matter what, I won’t be disappointed! 🙂
I’m looking forward to making (and eating) red velvet cake pops!!
love the retro look. My husband loves anything lemon and his fave cookie is shortbread so this is a winner for us and no doubt our granddaughters too!