Valentine's Day Treats

The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them. ~Thomas Merton

Today I have recipes for some dainty Valentine's treats!

Cinnamon Heart Shortbread Cookies

1 1/4 cups butter softened
1 cup icing sugar (confectioners)
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 pkg. Cinnamon Hearts or round cinnamon candies

Preheat oven to 325 F. Cream butter and sugar until light. Mix in flour a bit at a time. Stir in Cinnamon Hearts. Form dough into balls or use heart shaped cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes. Or flatten balls to rounds. Bake 12-14 minutes. Remove from sheets, sprinkle with icing sugar if you like and let cool. These are perfect for classroom parties!

Chocolate Butter

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened; cut into pieces
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

Stir butter and chocolate together by hand. Transfer to covered container, refrigerate or freeze until ready to use. Serve with biscuits, pound cake, croissants, muffins or waffles.

Chocolate Fingers

3 egg whites
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 pound almonds, blanched and ground
4 ounces sweet cooking chocolate, grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Beat egg whites with dash salt until stiff, gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Fold in almonds, chocolate, and corn starch. Form into 48 finger shapes. Roll in granulated sugar and put on buttered cookie sheets. Bake in very slow oven (275 degrees) about 30 minutes. Store in airtight container. Makes 48.

We have more Dainty cookies for teas or Valentine's Day on OFL:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/dainty.html