Queen of Hearts' Tarts & More Valentine Recipes
by Machelle Alder Winder

If you're looking for more great Valentine's recipes, try these four recipes: Queen of Hearts' Tarts, Valentine Sweetheart Sandwich Cookies, Valentine's Day Meringue Cookies, and Valentine's Day Sweetie Pies.

Queen of Hearts' Tarts
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
Strawberry preserves

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, milk, and sifted ingredients. Mix well.

Roll out on a floured surface. Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutters. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

With plastic knives or wooden Popsicle sticks, spread strawberry preserves on each cookie and top with another cookie. Yield: 25 "double" cookies.


Valentine Sweetheart Sandwich Cookies
1/4 lb Unsalted butter
1 1/4 c Sugar
2 lg Eggs
1 ts Vanilla extract
1/2 c Unsweetened cocoa
2 c Flour
1/2 ts Salt
1 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Baking soda

FILLING:
4 tb Unsalted butter
1 ts Vanilla extract
4 c Confectioner's sugar
Whipping cream

Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until light. Beat in eggs and vanilla; set aside. Sift the cocoa, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together. Stir the dry ingredients thoroughly into the butter mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 or 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375F and butter 2 cookie sheets. Using a teaspoon measure, roll level teaspoons of the dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cookies are puffed and surfaces slightly dry and cracked. Cool on racks.

To make the filling, cream the butter until light. Beat in the vanilla and powdered sugar, adding whipping cream and continuing to beat until the consistency of creamy frosting. When the cookies are cooled completely, spread about 1/2 tablespoon of filling on the bottom of one cookie, then top with the bottom side of another cookie.

Makes about 3 dozen cookie sandwiches.

Valentine's Day Meringue Cookies
4 Egg whites
1/4 ts Cream of tartar
1 ts Vanilla
1/4 ts Salt
1 1/2 c White sugar
1 Bag (12-oz) chocolate chips
Large fresh strawberries
Beat egg whites until foamy; add salt and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff but not dry. Add sugar 2 tablespoons at a time and beat until stiff. Fold in vanilla and chocolate chips. Drop mixture by spoonfuls on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from pan. Store in airtight containers. Serve on tray with strawberries.

Valentine's Day Sweetie Pies
2 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 c Softened Salted Butter
1 c White Sugar
2 lg Eggs
2 ts Pure Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 c All-Purpose Flour
1/2 ts Baking Soda
6 oz Semisweet Chocolate Chips
3 oz White Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 oz Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with waxed paper. In a double boiler, melt the unsweetened chocolate and the first batch of chocolate chips. Stir frequently with wooden spoon or wire whisk until creamy and smooth. Pour melted chocolate into a large bowl. Add butter and beat with electric mixer at medium speed until thoroughly combined. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until well blended. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add the flour, baking soda and the three types of chocolate chips. Mix at low speed just until combined. Chips should be distributed equally throughout the dough. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place dough balls onto paper-lined pans, 2 inches apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten each ball to 1/2 inch thickness. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Transfer cookies with a spatula to a cool, flat surface.

Check out our Holiday Ideas Page for more great Valentine recipes.

Copyright 2001 by Machelle Alder Winder

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