Black and White Hearts
Hands-on Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours
Makes about 3½ dozen
- ¾ c sugar
- 1 c butter, softened
- 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- 3 c all-purpose flour
- 1 c semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp shortening
- Combine sugar, butter, cream cheese, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy. Add flour; beat until well mixed. Divide dough in half; wrap each half in waxed paper. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Roll out dough to ⅛” thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut out with lightly floured 2″ heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1″ apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove immediately to wire racks to cool completely.
- Melt chocolate chips and shortening in a small saucepan over low heat 4 to 6 minutes or until melted. Dip half of each heart into melted chocolate. Refrigerate on cookie sheets or trays lined with wax paper until chocolate is firm. Store, covered, in refrigerator.
Black and White Hearts Dough
These are my new favorite cookie!! I’d never had a black and white cookie before these and I don’t know if I’ll like any other black and white cookies, but this recipe is fabulously delicious. They are so soft and lite with just enough sugar and chocolate to satisfy any sweet tooth!
This recipe comes from a recipe book I have called Old Fashioned Bake Sale. Which I’ve posted about before. Interestingly enough, that post was another cookie recipe that at the time I also claimed was the best cookie ever. So this book is apparently where it’s at for cookie recipes, but I digress . . .
I made these for Valentine’s Day this year. And when I read the recipe I wondered what on earth I was getting myself into. But how could I resist heart shaped cookies for Valentine’s Day?!
Rolling out the dough
I’m not one for cut out cookies in general. Too much work rolling out the dough and cutting and rolling and cutting. I was excited though that these cookies didn’t need iced.
Black and White Hearts Cutouts
I also don’t like recipes that have to be delayed for say the chilling of dough. But I learned that freezing dough expedites the chilling process.
Once the dough was ready to work with and I started rolling it out I couldn’t help but think of Bridget over at Bake at 350. She is a cut out cookie pro – seriously hop on over there and take a peek at her works of edible art. I don’t know how she as the patience to meticulously cut out and decorate like she does. But I also thought, girl’s gotta have some killer arms! Rolling out dough is quite a workout!
I also learned that I have got to add a marble slab to my wish list. I saw Julia Child using one on her show to work with dough and make pastries. A marble slab is where it’s at! My set up on the kitchen table with wax paper is not ideal. That’s the only way I’ve ever known to work with rolling out dough. Thank you, Julia, for opening my eyes to make a technique I’m already not a fan of more enjoyable.
Black and White Hearts fresh from the oven.
I made it through the rolling and cutting out and got them all baked with brown edges, then it was time to dip them. I developed a really good technique for this. Just tip the pan toward you to pool the chocolate and with the back of the cookie almost against the back (or really bottom) of the pan, dip in and tilt it forward in the chocolate to cover it to the desired mid-line. Voila! Looks perfect!
Black and White Hearts chocolate
So after all of the rolling and cutting and rolling and cutting followed by the baking, cooling, dipping and more cooling I ended up with almost 4½ dozen cookies! So even more deliciousness than the recipe stated. I of course did have to make another half a batch of chocolate too, but that’s really simple to whip up. And all that work that I generally loathe really was worth it.
All in all, do not be intimidated by this recipe. If this treat sounds like your cup of tea and you have some time (maybe a rainy day and a helper would be great too!) you will not be disappointed! While I don’t usually have the patience for regular ol’ sugar cookie cutouts, I will definitely be rallying to make these cookies again!
