MOCHA VALENTINE BISCUITS with pink icing: easy-peasy, frugal, egg-free

Valentines' Day: easy heart-shaped biscuits with pink icing...

updated May 2023

Chocolate and pink icing on elegant heart-shaped biscuits:
 what better treat for Valentines' Day

Mocha shortbread are a variation of the splendid bottom-of-the-barrel shortbread which needs only a few inexpensive ingredients.  They're budget-friendly but taste like artisan baking.

These are a lovely treat for Valentine's Day, especially if you can find tear-shaped valentine cookie cutters, but really any heart-shaped cutter or any other cutter will do.

Like all shortbreads, it's really easy to make; an older child can handle it without problems.   

The amount is for a small household but multiples easily.

Cost: £1.50'ish (5/23)

Makes: 8'ish biscuits

Ingredients:

100gm/3.5oz soft salted butter

             25gm/oz white sugar

         15gm/1/2oz brown sugar OR 40 gms/1.4oz white sugar

         1/2 tsp vanilla OR 1/2 tsp instant coffee mixed with 1/2 tsp warm water

     

         90gm/3.1oz plain white flour +

         30gm/10z wholemeal 

               OR 120gm/5oz white PLUS

         20gm/3/4oz good cocoa

     

Method:

1. Whip butter until structure breaks down (a few seconds); beat in sugars until pale & fluffy - a few minutes; blend in vanilla or coffee
2. Add flours; mix until clumps of dough form; gather them together into a ball, wrap in cling OR form a thick sausage-shaped roll 5-6 inches long, roll in a piece of cling film that's longer than it is wide, twist both ends to even out bumps, lumps and air pockets; shape into a square, triangle or round shaped roll 
3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour OR freeze; when ready to bake, defrost overnight 
4. Preheat oven to 170c/325f
5. Either Roll out dough between two pieces of greaseproof paper lightly scattered with cocoa powder to the thickness of a one-pound coin. Cut out biscuits with a cookie cutter dipped in flour, saving scraps.  Lift the cookies onto the cooking tray with a lightly floured palette knife.  Re-roll scraps and repeat. 
6. OR slice to thickness of a one pound coin 
7. Bake 10 mins or until brown at the edges.   
8. Serve plain, or drizzled with, or partially dipped in, melted white chocolate mixed with a drop of pink food colour* OR milk or dark chocolate OR drizzle with flowing butter-cream icing (start with 1/3 cup icing sugar mixed with 1/3 tsp milk or cream and a drop of pink food colouring)
9. Store cookies in an airtight container

* Waitrose have a good selection of food colourings, many free of E numbers

Comments:

'Beautiful and amazing; they look so elegant.  I am sure they are as delicious as usual so am saving them for tea with a guest tomorrow.'

'They were really lovely - crispy and more-ish - and the pink icing didn't look odd at all.' Retired writer

Tips:

• dairy butter gives best flavour but margarine or vegan butter will do
• wholemeal flour and brown sugar can be replaced with white
• wholemeal flour is more dense and absorbs more liquid than white flour 
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This recipe has been adapted by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be used commercially without the author's written permission.