Valentine Cinnamon Shortbread Cookies Recipes

VALENTINE CINNAMON SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix room softened butter with sugar and vanilla.
• Combine cinnamon with salt and flour. Add to butter mixture and mix until it forms a dough.
• On waxed paper press a small amount of dough into a heart shaped cookie cutter. If using M&Ms decorate after placing cookie dough on an ungreased cookie sheet.
• If using red cinnamon heart candies, place undecorated cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet in a 325 degree oven. Remove after 5-7 minutes and decorate with red cinnamon heart candies. Place back in oven and finish baking. This allows candies to not get completely melted.
• TOTAL time for baking cookies is approximately 15 minutes. Do NOT let cookies get brown edges.
• Yield depends on size of cookie used. 36 is an approximate amount.

VALENTINE SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream 1 1/4 cups margarine in large bowl.
• Gradually add sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
• Add 1/4 tsp almond extract and salt.
• Gradually stir in enough flour to make a soft dough.
• Add ground almonds.
• Press dough into a 10x15" jelly roll pan; prick with a fork.
• Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until very lightly browned.
• Cut into diamond shapes and remove from pan; cool completely.
• Meanwhile in a small mixing bowl, cream remaining 6 Tbsp margarine with confectioners sugar and milk until light and fluffy; beat in chocolate and 1/4 tsp almond extract.
• Spread frosting on cookies.
• Decorate as desired.
• (I make my own pink chocolate hearts from Merck's wafers using a mold, and put one on top of each cookie.).

VALENTINE'S SLICE-AND-BAKE CINNAMON HEART SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until fluffy; add vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar, ground cinnamon candies, and cornstarch and mix with hand mixer until combined.
• Incorporate flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing with your hands until all flour is used and dough comes together.
• Divide dough into halves; roll each into an 8-inch cylinder. Wrap each cylinder in waxed paper and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove dough from freezer and let thaw just until slightly softened.
• Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and arrange onto baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until firm along the edges but not yet browned, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on racks for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.

VALENTINE'S SLICE-AND-BAKE CINNAMON HEART SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat butter in a large bowl with a hand mixer until fluffy; add vanilla extract, confectioners' sugar, ground cinnamon candies, and cornstarch and mix with hand mixer until combined.
• Incorporate flour 1/4 cup at a time, mixing with your hands until all flour is used and dough comes together.
• Divide dough into halves; roll each into an 8-inch cylinder. Wrap each cylinder in waxed paper and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove dough from freezer and let thaw just until slightly softened.
• Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and arrange onto baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until firm along the edges but not yet browned, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on racks for 5 minutes before moving to a rack to cool completely.