Need Help With Valentine's Day Cookies

[ChristineVA]

For my son's class party on Monday, I have to make 2 dozen cookies. The reason I volunteered for this is that my son has a peanut allergy and if I don't send *something* in, he will end up with no treats for the party. Everyone buys stuff from the store and it is always cross-contaminated with nuts. I know they are having bagged candy and Little Debbie heart cakes (which he cannot eat). So, I'm doing cookies. My son really likes the Chocolate Chip Shortbread Sticks (got the recipe from this board!!). If you are unfamiliar with these, you make little "logs" of shortbread cookies (there are mini-chocolate chips in the batter). When they are cooled you dip each end of the log into melted chocolate. The chocolate hardens and they are very elegant.

So, I'm trying to think of a way to "Valentine" these cookies?? I thought about melting white chocolate and then rolling them into some red/pink sprinkles/hearts. Not sure how to melt white chocolate so that it will firm up again. Do you think I can just melt it?? Or maybe I can stick with the original dark chocolate and add the valentine candies? I just don't know. I want my son to be able to have a "special" type of treat like the other kids, but I feel limited.

Any helpful hints or totally new ideas are welcome!!
Thanks,
Christine

[pattiarl]

I like your idea of white chocolate/sprinkles. I know there is a thread somewhere that talks about the hardening of chocolate....I think with chocolate chips and such you can add shortening but am not sure of the process with white.

I guess I don't have much to add, other than I liked the idea. :)


Patti

[blazedog]

If you go to Michael's they sell chocolate pieces meant for melting. I believe they are generally used for candy making but would be perfect for your purposes.

I know they come in all kinds of colors so I would bet they would have pink or red. They also sell adorable little sprinkles in the shape of teensy hearts and/or nonpareills in appropriate holiday colors.

[RebeccaT]

I think you should just use you regular chocolate, but roll the cookies in V-day sprinkles. I think they will look great, and the taste will be the same as what your son loves.

[danikwal]

ChristineVA-
I agree with doing your regular chocolate and making it special with white and red sprinkles, dots or mini hearts!

would you mind posting the recipe or pointing me in the right direction. When you mentioned you had gotten the recipe off this BB, I did a search but nothing came up...

Thanks

[Barrie]

Christine, I have a similar recipe and after dipping in the melted chocolate, I roll the ends of mine in chopped walnuts, so I think anything else would work just as well and they'd look really cute. I was at Target today and bought a little kit that had three heart-shaped cookie cutters and three little jars of topping - pink sugar, red sugar, and red/white/pink sprinkles.

[ChristineVA]

Originally posted by Sheila in MD:

Chocolate Chip Shortbread Sticks

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutions)
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Glaze
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
2 tsp. vegetable shortening

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With mixer at low speed, gradually beat in flour just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide dough in half and flatten into disks. Wrap and refrigerate 2hours or overnight until firm. Heat oven to 350. Grease 2 large cookie sheets. On a lightly floured, smooth surface, roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 2.5" long sticks. Arrange sticks 2" apart on prepared cookie sheets. Freeze 10 minutes. Bake 12 minutes or until the edges are golden. Let cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make Glaze: melt chocolate chips in small microwave bowl on high 1 to 2 minutes (depends on your microwave...adjust accordingly); stir until smooth. Stir in shortening until melted. Dip both ends of cookies into chocolate and put on wax paper to harden. Makes 4.5 dozen.

My Notes: I line my cookie sheets with parchment and only chill dough for a few minutes-too hard to roll into sticks if you chill as long as they say! I have made the dough and refrigerated overnight and then brought it close to room temp to roll. I do place them in freezer for the 10 minutes before baking though.

[ChristineVA]

Thanks all! I think I will head to Michael's and see what they have. I guess I will probably stick with the regular chocolate and see what I can find to roll them in. But it would be nice if they had nice "red" chocolate to melt for some of them!
Christine

[pattyp.]

I was at Michael's today and they had a lot of their colored chips and they were on sale. I was looking at the choc. ones. I assume you can melt them and dip strawberries etc. ????????I know they are used for candy making. Have you used them for dipping????:confused:

[Sheila in MD]

Glad you like the recipe:-). You could use the regular and then drizzle the melted red coating over it....

Sheila in MD

[ChristineVA]

Sheila, these are very good. Everyone who has tasted them has loved them. My son, who is 10, was very excited when I told him I would make these. He said "you wouldn't believe how much the kids loved this at Christmas, they were just GONE." It's such a simple little cookie, too!