Happy Valentine's Day! Even though Mike has the day off, I'm spending today tending to patients in the ICU. I'm gonna pack one of these guys in my lunch box to help sweeten the day. Enjoy!
Cookies via Martha Stewart
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Mix with a whisk until well combined.
In a double boiler, or a bowl over a pot of simmering water, mix chocolate chips, brown sugar and butter. Stir constantly until almost completely melted and combined. Remove from heat and stir in egg. Mix well.
Transfer the chocolate-butter mixture to the bowel of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, start the mixer and add the flour-cocoa powder mixture in slowly until completely combined. It will form a thick dough.
Place half of dough on parchment paper and place another piece of parchment paper on top, sandwiching the dough between the two pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough until it's about 1/4 inch thick. Place in freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat with the other half of dough.
After 20 minutes, preheat oven to 350, take out dough and remove top piece of parchment paper. Using a cookie cutter (I used my Grandma's vintage scalloped heart), cut out heart shapes and place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Filling via Smitten Kitchen
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg white
6 tablespoons room temperature butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pink food coloring
In a double boiler, or a bowl over a pot of simmering water, mix sugar and egg white stirring constantly until you can't feel the sugar when you rub the mixture between your fingers.
Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk the mixture until it turns white and doubles in size (about 3-4 minutes). Add vanilla.
With the mixer running, add butter a tablespoon at a time. Mix until combined.
Add about 4 drops pink food coloring and 1 drop of green to tone down the pink. Mix well.
Place mixture in piping bag or ziplock bag with a hole cut off a corner. Pipe onto back side of cookies and sandwich together.