Valentine's Day Shortbread Hearts

Well Valentines Day is around the corner, and what's a better way to show someone how much you love them, than cute little love heart yumminess?!  At Valentines I don't think you need to spend a fortune to show someone how much they mean to you, I think making or baking something is so much more personnel and thoughtful. Also Valentines Day isn't all about having a partner but it's too show your friends and family how much you love them too!

This weekend I turned into some "domestic goddess" making homemade soup and baking these delicious shortbread biscuits covered in white (pink) chocolate. So here's how I made them...

To start with, you will need the following ingredients...

For the shortbread:

225 g Salted Butter (softened)

100 g Caster Sugar

250 g Plain Flour

For the decoration:

1 x Large white chocolate bar

3 drops of pink food colouring

Writing Icing

Pink sprinkles

Hundreds & Thousands 

Pre-heat the oven to 150 degrees celsius and lightly grease two baking trays. Mix the butter and sugar together until the mixture is smooth. Now keep adding small amounts of the flour into the mixture until you have used all the flour and you have formed a soft dough.

Place the dough on a floured surface and roll out using a rolling pin. The dough should be approximately 1/2 cm thick. You may have to add more flour to your dough at this point if your mixture is still sticking to the surface. (I had to do this several times).

Now cut out the dough using your heart shaped cutter. Then gently place them on your prepared baking tray. Finally bake for approximately 10 minutes.

Now for the coating. Break your bar of chocolate into small chunks, place into a dish and melt in the microwave until you have smooth running chocolate with no lumps or bumps. Mix three drops of food colouring into the melted chocolate and leave to cool. 

Here is the fun part... decorate your shortbread however you like!!! For the small love hearts I dunked them into the chocolate and for the larger ones I smeared it on, using the back of a table spoon (I tried dunking the big ones but they broke... and unfortunately I had to eat them! oooopsy!) I then sprinkled on the decorations, positioned them on a plate and left them in the fridge to set. Then wolaaah, DONE!

Now because I wanted to give them as little gifts to my girlfriends, I decided to push the boat out and make them look all pretty and professional with cellophane bags and love heart ribbon. The bags I bought from lakeland (wow that shop is like baking heaven!) and the ribbons I bought from Paperchase! Recently I have found it so hard to resist buying all the sweet Valentines merchandise! Everything is so damn cute!

Well I hope you have enjoyed this post and you have the loveliest Valentines Day with whoever you may be spending it with!

Happy V Day,

Lots of Love

L x