Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Heart Cookies

I love making heart-shaped cookies for Valentine's Day. Call me corny, but I do. Usually it's the magic, traditional heart shaped sugar cookie recipe, but this year I decided to make shortbread cookies for the first time.

I used this recipe here without the frosting. (It had 1/4 cup more sugar than the other and used a tiny spot of baking powder.) Then I just melted some semi-sweet chocolate chips and dipped half of the cookie in them. When the chocolate was too low to dip, I grabbed a spoon and made pretty drizzles on the rest.

For my first shortbread making try, I was pleased. If you let it warm just a little after refrigerating, it rolls out very well (because of the butter). But it also sticks to the rolling pin quite badly if you don't flour enough. So 1) let them warm for 5-10 min and 2) flour up! Finally, the cookies will hold their shape better in the oven if they are refrigerated after cut.

What rich, yummy goodness!

a few Valentine hearts

Ladybug and I made valentines today. I kept forgetting to put up pictures of the heart strings I made and hung in our kitchen for a little bit of festive (and inexpensive!) fun. 

We made a stack of simple, stamped valentines. All her idea, you know. :-)

And enjoyed gazing up at the hearts. Especially when the heat blows on and they start dancing. 

What fun. 

Simple and sweet. What are your Valentine's Day plans?