Valentine’s Day, the holy grail of Hallmark
holidays, is almost upon us. I'm basically a total cynic when it comes to the
whole declaration-of-love-through-chocolate-and-flowers thing, and the thought
of going out to a restaurant on the night of February 14 sends shivers down my
spine (and not in a good way). I favor saying “I love you”
in smaller, less
conspicuous ways throughout the entire year. Baking cookies for my husband is
one such way; he is easily pleased and always appreciates the time and effort put
into my home-spun sweets. This heart-shaped chocolate sandwich cookie is an
ideal way to convey romantic thoughts on Valentine’s Day or any other day of
the year. The tender chocolate butter cookie sandwiches a delicate orange
flavored white chocolate ganache; it’s a good match – the cookie part is not
overly sweet, and the white chocolate ganache balances its deep cocoa flavor
perfectly. If you’re not in love, that’s ok, too (not that you care what I
think!). Bake a batch for yourself, and eat them all in one sitting while
watching Wuthering Heights or Waterloo Bridge (two of my favorite old
romances) on Netflix. Now that’s my idea of a good Valentine’s Day!
(Click "Read More" below for recipe.)
Makes 20 sandwich cookies
Chocolate
Cookies:
1 cup (132 g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
11 tablespoons (155 g) unsalted butter,
cut into tablespoons
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 g)
granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
½ cup (53 g) alkalized cocoa powder
White
Chocolate Orange Ganache Filling:
8 ounces (227 g) white chocolate, chopped
½ cup (116 g) heavy cream
½ tablespoon (7 g) unsalted butter,
softened
2 tablespoons (30 g) fresh squeezed
orange juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Make
the cookies:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the
flour and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer,
using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy,
about 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy,
about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg, mixing well and
scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Gradually add the cocoa powder, mixing until blended. Scrape down the sides of
the bowl. Add the flour mixture in three additions, mixing just until blended.
Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and divide it in two. Shape each piece
into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours, until firm.
3. Position a rack in the center of the
oven and preheat to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with
parchment paper.
4. Place one of the dough discs on a very
lightly floured work surface. Sprinkle it lightly with flour and, using a
rolling pin, roll in out to a thickness of 3/16 inch. Using a 2-inch
heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as possible and arrange
them, 1/2 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Gather up the scraps,
re-roll them, and cut out more hearts. Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, for
7 to 9 minutes, until they no longer look wet (the cookies should still be soft
to the touch; do not over-bake). Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool
completely.
Make
the ganache filling:
5. Place the white chocolate in the bowl
of a food processor and pulse until small pieces form (do not overprocess or
the chocolate will get hot and begin to melt). Transfer the chocolate to a
medium bowl.
6. Place the cream in a small saucepan
and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Pour the hot cream over the
chocolate, shaking the bowl so that all the chocolate is covered. Allow to
stand for 1 minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Whisk until smooth. Add the
softened butter and whisk until combined. Whisk in the orange juice, vanilla
and orange zest. Cover the surface of the ganache with a piece of plastic wrap
and refrigerate the ganache for 2 to 3 hours, or until it is firm enough to
spread or pipe.
Fill
the cookies:
7. Spoon about 3/4 teaspoon of the
ganache in the center of the underside of half of the cookies. Top with another
cookie, keeping the top side facing out, and pressing the cookies together
lightly until the filling spreads evenly to about 1/16 inch from the edge.
Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Bring to room temperature before serving.
