Baked HEARTS for your VALENTINE
I have never been much of a Valentines Day person. I am one of those people who feel that expression of love should not be restricted to a day. But somehow the season is contagious. With shops selling cards and gifts and little knick-knacks for your loved one, and events in the food blogosphere gently nudging us into cooking something for our valentine. Now, that's something I don't mind.
I always feel inadequate when I need to bake anything. Mainly because I have an OTG without temperature control and just 2 baking dishes in which nothing except a cake can be made. I don't have muffin trays or pie dishes or even cookie cutters. I normall make round-shaped cookies by patting them into shape with my hands. But if I need anything heart-shaped, that's a different story, right?
But I used my hands again! Its crude, its far from perfect, but its still a heart!
Heart-Shaped Shortbread Cookies for your Valentine
Recipe adapted from here
Makes a dozen cookies
What I Used:
Flour - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup and a little more
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup (measure after powdering)
Salt - one pinch
Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
How I Made Them:
1. Mix the flour and salt well and keep aside.
2. Cream the butter well and mix in the sugar. Cream further until it has dissolved in the butter.
3. Add the vanilla and mix well.
4. Gently fold in the flour and make into a soft dough. Refrigerate cling-wrapped, for an hour.
5. Gently roll the dough and cut into desired shape. I make small balls and made the heart shape with my hands :)
6. Bake in a 180C pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes.
Share with your valentine while still warm and get ready for the compliments :)
These cookies go to Zorra's 'A heart for your Valentine' event. Entries so far can be seen here. I am also sending this to Pooja who is hosting an event with a Valentine Theme.
I always feel inadequate when I need to bake anything. Mainly because I have an OTG without temperature control and just 2 baking dishes in which nothing except a cake can be made. I don't have muffin trays or pie dishes or even cookie cutters. I normall make round-shaped cookies by patting them into shape with my hands. But if I need anything heart-shaped, that's a different story, right?
But I used my hands again! Its crude, its far from perfect, but its still a heart!
Heart-Shaped Shortbread Cookies for your Valentine
Recipe adapted from here
Makes a dozen cookies
What I Used:
Flour - 1 cup
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup and a little more
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup (measure after powdering)
Salt - one pinch
Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
How I Made Them:
1. Mix the flour and salt well and keep aside.
2. Cream the butter well and mix in the sugar. Cream further until it has dissolved in the butter.
3. Add the vanilla and mix well.
4. Gently fold in the flour and make into a soft dough. Refrigerate cling-wrapped, for an hour.
5. Gently roll the dough and cut into desired shape. I make small balls and made the heart shape with my hands :)
6. Bake in a 180C pre-heated oven for 10-12 minutes.
Share with your valentine while still warm and get ready for the compliments :)
These cookies go to Zorra's 'A heart for your Valentine' event. Entries so far can be seen here. I am also sending this to Pooja who is hosting an event with a Valentine Theme.
Posts
That is sooo sweet.. lucky Shanks.. :) You did a pretty good job with your hands N, if I tried making a heart without a mold, I am sure it will look like a kidney :D
ReplyDeleteOh yeah,I second Sig! :)
ReplyDeleteThey are CUTE rather than crude!:)
aww... they really r cute nags:) i too dont have cookie cutter and fancy baking dishes. just one muffin pan and cake pan ;) but unlike u i hardly bake anything. u should send it to pooja's event to.
ReplyDelete@sig,
u r too much girl... ha ha ha...
They are perfect, because they are made with love! Thank you for your participation.
ReplyDeleteNags, they look very cute, as sia said you can send this to Pooja's valentine event and also account your fond memories of your valentine for us to enjoy!..:D
ReplyDeleteHey Nags!!
ReplyDeleteAlready preps have started for valentine's day eh??
Those cookies look so yum!!
I am still laughing at Sig's comment.
You've done a pretty impressive job even without a cookie cutter...and it's always the thought that counts...
ReplyDeleteI loved the remark of sig ;) it will happen to me too.
ReplyDeleteA job well done
Sig - its not that tough :D you should try it once!
ReplyDeleteBharathy - Thanks Sis :D
Sia - thanks for letting me know about Pooja's event. I have sent it to her as well :)
zorra - thanks for hosting, Zorra!
Srivalli - Unfortunately, my valentine is a shy guy. I had initially dedicated the post to him but he was embarassed so I removed it.
Padmaja - baked it last weekend and thought others could also use this idea!
Jayashree & Happy Cook - Thanks! :)
V day is exaggerated and very commercial here in US, don't care much either but an excuse to cook yummy goodies though.Perfect looking cookies!:))
ReplyDeleteThats soooo damn chweeeeet!!!!! And they seem quite ez to make too... Love the last pic
ReplyDeleteThat's really sweet Nags.. they look perfect to me.
ReplyDeleteNice entry. The cookies look so hearty! Love them.
ReplyDeleteCrude? C'mon! They are shaped well! The outcome looks really good..Love the last pic a lot!
ReplyDeleteI'm not a V-day person either and just think of it as a Hallmark- holiday. Sometimes I feel what the Shiv Sainiks do in Bombay is just right!
ReplyDeleteYour cookies look adorable. You call it crude? I think they're cookies with character.:-)
Nags,
ReplyDeletethey are nor far from perfect , THEY ARE PERFECT. you made it really well with your hands, truly your hands are creating magic in kitchen :) .
thanks for sharing and participating dear.
Not a Valentine's day person ? hmmm, thats what my hubby is like. but i don't miss to celebrate any event/days of any region to make life full of happy memories.... Coz somehow i can forget on which day he gifted me what ? but i never forget on which Valentine's day he gifted me what :).
Nags...! How adorable you are! I think it's so sweet that you made them with your hands. It just means that there's more love in them! :)
ReplyDeleteThat is cute, Nags. Better than cookie cutters.
ReplyDeletethose hearts look perfect! your hands are better than the cookie cutters!:)
ReplyDeletethat looks awesome nags! I was so hoping to see a picture of your "valentine" too in this post:) hehehe...
ReplyDeletethat is so cute of you :)
ReplyDeleteooo..that's really sweet. I nearly forgot about v-day! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI second or third or fifth Sig... I am lousy at shaping anything with my bare hands... thank heavens for cookie cutters!!!
ReplyDeletethey look lovely
Great recipe
ReplyDeleteI am still laughing at Sigs comment about her cookies looking like a "kidney" LOL...
ReplyDeleteYours look so good Nags..just like with the cookie cutters..n very nice pics too
It's pretty good for a handmade cookie Nags, looks delicious:)
ReplyDeleteA pretty sweet valentine cookie. I love it.
ReplyDeleteFor one who's not been much of a Valentine's day person, you have outdone yourself here! The blog looks very lovey-dovey :)
ReplyDeleteso cute !!!Happy Valentine's day in advance .....excellent one
ReplyDeletethey look cute. and a simple way to entertain. lovely.
ReplyDeletethey look yummy...nice idea..thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteSo your baking skills are getting stronger with every new thing you bake.....those hearts are really cute and wud make anyone's heart melt....hope u got the message...:P
ReplyDeleteAsha - Yeah here too! In fact it seems like a Hallmark sponsored holiday to me! Don't know what the hype is for, really!
ReplyDeleteRamya - Thanks Ramya :) I used ppt to put the banner on the last pic. Its really very simple!
Laavanya, Uma, Rachel, - :D
TBC - LOL :D
Hey i hav written a new post on my blog do read and comment in. I am sure you will.
ReplyDeleteNags, those are real cuties...and they look like hearts alright...enjoy!
ReplyDeleteoh i love this crunchy heart cookies :-) perfect for valentine treat giveaways!! happy valentine!!
ReplyDeletethey are more precious than any other exotic n professional one's for the simple reason that there's love written all over them (for those who can see)!!!
ReplyDeleteVery very schweeet.
Hugs
So sweet. I remember I made a red velvet cake for my first valentine with my husband - probably my first baking experiment- I filled the batter almost to the top of a heart shaped pan to bake - you can imagine how red my oven was - I made up a story and told my husband that my love for him was just overflowing! hahah
ReplyDeleteLooks really yummy!!
ReplyDeleteon what temperature do we need to bake it? - vidya
Vidya, you'd bake the heart shaped cookies at 180C. Have updated the post :)
ReplyDeleteYou know, this is a vanilla cookie. Not a shortbread. Shortbread is a traditional Scottish and European biscuit and is made very similar to a shortcrust pastry.
ReplyDeleteYou know, this is a vanilla cookie. Not a shortbread. Shortbread is a traditional Scottish and European biscuit and is made very similar to a shortcrust pastry.
ReplyDeleteNags, they look very cute, as sia said you can send this to Pooja's valentine event and also account your fond memories of your valentine for us to enjoy!..:D
ReplyDelete