Valentines Day recipe

Plump and decadent, these cookies are easy to make so treat all the ones you love for less than the price of one red rose.

Makes 20 plus cookies

200g (8oz) butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups plain flour
125g (4oz) dark chocolate –
I use Cadbury cooking chocolate
Non stick baking parchment or paper

For the coating
225 (8 ½ oz) g dark chocolate
1 tbsp butter

Pre heat the oven to 190°C (350 F)
With a beater or processor cream the butter and sugar until pale. Place a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water and gently melt the chocolate. Mix the melted chocolate into the creamed butter and sugar and then add the flour and vanilla – I do all of this in the processor.

Place the dough between two layers of plastic wrap and roll out to form a block and Chill in the freezer for 5 minutes. Cover a cookie sheet with non stick baking paper.
Roll the dough between the plastic wrap to a thickness of 2cm. Use a heart shaped cutter to cut the dough into thick heart shaped cookies and place on prepared tray. Chill again for 5 minutes then bake in the preheated oven for around 15 – 20 minutes, until just firm and lightly coloured. The cookies will spread and swell slightly as they cook giving them a more rounded shape so allow a little space between each one.

Remove from the tray and cool on a wire rack.

To coat
Place a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water and gently melt the chocolate, stir in the butter and then dip the rounded face of each cookie into the chocolate mixture so the top and sides are coated. Fish the cookie out with a fork and allow excess chocolate to run off. Place on a foil lined tray in the fridge to set.