White Chocolate Cookies for VDay

Vanilla – Almond Sugar Cookies

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

2 tsps. baking powder

1 cup sugar

2 sticks (salted) butter, cold

1 egg

¾ tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp. pure almond extract

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside.

Cream the sugar and butter.  Add the egg and extracts and mix.  Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl, especially the bottom.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for two hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F.

I had this dough leftover from last weekend when I made my football helmets for our Super Bowl shindig. It saved me time so there's your tip of the day, make the dough ahead of time.  Anyway, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick, maybe a tad bit thicker (that's the way I like them).  Use your favorite cookie cutter.

Place dough on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 - 14 minutes or until edges are browned.

When cookies are done baking, cool completely.  I stacked them only when they were cooled to get them together in one spot as I prepared the icing.

For the Icing:

4 tbsps. light corn syrup

4 tbsps. water +  a little more

2 cups or 1 bag white Gharadelli chocolate chips

1/4 cup milk

Red or Pink food coloring

Over low heat, using a small pot heat the corn syrup thorough then carefully add the water stirring constantly.

Heat until it starts to boil.  Remove from heat.

Immediately add the white chocolate chips, stir and add the milk a little at a time until you get the right consistency.  

It should look and feel like molasses.  I added a little bit of more water as it was still too thick until I was able to stir it and spread it on the cookie.

With an offset spatula spread the icing over the cookie.

Place on a cooling rack, not to cool it but to dry.  Repeat with the rest of the cookies.  Let set for a couple of hours before the next step but make sure to cover the leftover icing.

With the leftover icing, I added the red food coloring to make it pink.  Add a little more water if needed just in case the icing is too thick.  With a toothpick, I picked up the pink icing and just added some squiggly lines along the edges as well as any other designs I could think of.

Peanut Butter??

This was my hubby's idea.  So for the love of my hubby and since it is Valentine's Day, I added some creamy peanut butter . . . .

Yup, I sandwiched some peanut butter between my beautiful cookies.  Kept reminding myself, "for the love of my hubby", the peanut butter lover.

I made enough for the whole family.  Placed some in a fancy chocolate color cupcake wrap and tied a red ribbon around it.  

And this is the reason my life is complete, my grandbabies

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!  Savor every moment!

Sharing with:

    Chic on a Shoestring Decorating