These delightful chocolate orange heart cut out cookies are perfect for Valentine’s Day baking. With a rich chocolate flavor complemented by a hint of orange, these cookies are sure to impress anyone you share them with.

The recipe features simple techniques for making cut out cookies, allowing you to create beautiful sugar cookie designs that can be decorated with vanilla icing to add a sweet finishing touch.

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Orange Cookies

These heart-shaped cookies are made with a delicious chocolate orange dough, rolled out and cut into shapes before baking. Once cooled, they are topped with a smooth vanilla icing that adds a lovely sweetness. The recipe yields about 24 cookies, making them ideal for sharing on Valentine’s Day.

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for icing)
• 2 tablespoons milk (for icing)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for icing)
• Food coloring (optional, for decoration)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Dough: In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and orange zest.
2. Combine Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined. Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. Roll and Cut: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). On a floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut out cookies and place them on a lined baking sheet.
4. Bake: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are firm. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Make the Icing: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust the consistency with more milk or powdered sugar as needed.
6. Decorate: Once the cookies are completely cool, drizzle or spread the vanilla icing on top. Add food coloring if desired for decoration. Allow the icing to set before serving.

Cook and Prep Times

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Chill Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Nutrition Information

• Servings: 24 cookies
• Calories: 120kcal
• Fat: 6g
• Protein: 1g
• Carbohydrates: 15g