Valentine’s Day is tomorrow!  As far as I’m concerned it’s an excellent reason/excuse to eat tons of chocolate…I’m a big fan of chocolate.  I will be making my chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, however, I also wanted to make a little something else, a non-chocolate cookie (shocking!) in the shape of a heart, especially for the occasion.

I knew I wanted to make a shortbread cookie, preferably with pecans.  After scouring Dorie Greenspan’s recipes I chose this one.  Dorie is pure genius, so I had a good feeling these would come out great.  I was quite happy with the result.  These cookies are crumbly and delicious, perfect with a glass of cold milk or a hot latte.

So go ahead…whip up a batch of these heart shaped goodies and share the love.

Here’s what you will need to make approximately 40 cookies…

Recipe

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup finely ground pecans

Decorating sugar

egg wash

Method 

In a stand mixer beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and very creamy.  Add sugars and salt and beat until well blended.  The mixture should be smooth and velvety, not fluffy and airy.  Add the pecans.  Reduce speed to low and beat in the egg yolks until incorporated.

Pour in the flour and pulse the mixer at low speed 5-7 times for a second or two each time.  (You can put a towel over the mixer to protect yourself from getting flour all over you).  Continue mixing at low speed for 20 seconds more, just until flour disappears into the dough.  The dough should be soft, moist and clumpy.

Scrape the dough onto a smooth work surface sprinkled with flour, gather into a ball and divide in half.  Flatten each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours or up to 3 days.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350.  Line baking sheet with parchment.  Remove dough from refrigerator, remove from plastic, sprinkle with some flour and roll out to approximately 1/4 inch to 1/3 inch thick.  Use heart shape cutouts to form each cookie.

Whisk egg for egg wash.  Brush the top of each cookie with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with decorator’s sugar.  Place on baking sheet, one inch apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating baking sheet at the midway point, until the edges are lightly golden and the tops of the cookies are slightly less golden.  Remove from oven, allow to sit for a minute, then transfer to a cooling rack.