chocolate filled peppermint valentine heart cookies

ingredients

• servings: 5
• cookies:
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• filling:
• 1 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• peppermint drizzle:
• 1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 drop peppermint extract, or to taste
• 1 drop red food coloring, or as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon milk, or as needed
• chocolate drizzle:
• 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

recipe

preparation time: 40 mins cook time: 20 mins ready time: 3 hrs


• mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. with an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat together the butter, 3/4 cup shortening, sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy; beat in the eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract. gradually beat in the flour mixture, about 1 cup at a time, until the mixture forms a soft dough. divide the dough into 4 pieces, cover, and chill for 1 hour in refrigerator.
• preheat oven to 375 degrees f (190 degrees c).
• to make filling, melt 1 3/4 cups of milk chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening in the top of a double boiler over hot (not boiling) water. stir the mixture until very smooth, and remove the filling from the heat to cool and slightly thicken.
• remove one piece of cookie dough from refrigerator at a time, and working on a floured surface, roll the cookie dough out 1/8-inch thick, and cut out 120 hearts (total) with a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. place half the hearts ungreased baking sheets. carefully spread those hearts with about a teaspoon of the chocolate filling, avoiding the edges, and top each with another heart cookie. gently pinch the edges of both cookies together to enclose the filling.
• bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; let cool for 1 minute on the baking sheets before removing to finish cooling on racks.
• for peppermint drizzle, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 1 drop of peppermint extract (to taste), red food coloring to your desired shade of pink or red, and milk as needed in a bowl to make a smooth, thin icing. for chocolate drizzle, melt 1/4 cup of milk chocolate chips with 2 teaspoons of vegetable shortening over hot (not boiling) water in a double boiler; stir and heat until the mixture is thin enough to drip in strings from a spoon.
• drizzle each cooled cookie with a little peppermint drizzle on one side, and a little chocolate drizzle on the other. let the cookies stand so the drizzle sets, about 30 minutes.