♥ Chocolate-Dipped Pistachio Shortbread Hearts ♥

Valentine’s Day is upon us, and aside from offering an opportunity to express romantic love, it’s also an ideal time to break out those heart-shaped cake pans and cookie molds that have been gathering dust throughout the year. There’s something about the heart shape 

that makes a sweet taste so much better, c’est pas vrai? This year I decided to make a simple, delicious pistachio shortbread cookie and, because chocolate is the favored flavor for Valentine’s Day, dipped them in a little tempered dark chocolate. The recipe for this 

cookie comes from my old friend Chris Broberg (old relating not to his age, to clarify, but the duration of our acquaintance), the super-talented pastry chef of the Four Seasons restaurant in NYC. It’s a classic shortbread cookie made with ground pistachios, but you can 

certainly substitute almonds or hazelnuts for the pistachios, if you like. The nice thing about this dough is that it doesn’t require chilling before you roll it out, so you can spring into action, rolling, cutting and baking, right after the dough comes together in the 

mixer. So you can show your love without spending all day on it. I know, I don’t sound very romantic, but I actually am – the proof is that I still cry at the end of Wuthering Heights, even though I’ve probably seen it 25 times. Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends! ♥♥♥

Token of Love

Baking for friends and loved ones is a labor of love. After all, it’s so much easier to pick up something from the bakery. Chances are, though, it won’t taste as good. (Unless, of course, you live in Paris or somewhere near a world-class pastry shop.) Baking takes time, effort and money—butter, eggs and nuts are not free. That's why baking something for your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day is so appropriate. And baking something heart shaped really says “I love you.” Take these little heart cookies. Made from a Linzer-like almond butter dough, they are tender, much like the heart. The dough is very delicate and a little tricky to roll out, so roll it between two sheets of waxed paper, as directed. After baking, the top half is brushed with a thin sugar glaze, and the cookie is filled with a tart raspberry jam. These cookies take some time and effort to make (they are fussy), but they will be noticed, and will surely have the intended effect. Happy Valentine's Day!