Valentine's Day Cookie Recipe: Orange-Scented Chocolate Heart Macaroons

Orange-Scented Chocolate Heart Macaroons

These are sure to steal the heart of the coconut lover in your life.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 medium orange, peel grated
5 cups sweetened flaked coconut, divided
25 to 30 NESTLE CRUNCH Hearts, unwrapped
or NESTLE BUTTERFINGER Hearts

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl.

BEAT sugar, butter and cream cheese in medium mixer bowl until creamy. Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, orange juice and grated orange peel; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat until well combined. Stir in 4 cups coconut. Cover; refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm enough to handle.

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

SHAPE dough into 1 1/2-inch balls; roll balls in remaining coconut. Place on ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately press 1 Nestle Heart on top of each macaroon. Cool for 1 minute; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Serving size: 25

Valentine's Day Cookie Recipe: Layers of Love Chocolate Brownies

Cookie Recipes


Layers of Love Chocolate Brownies

A finalist in the 2000 Share The Very Best Recipe Contest, this recipe was entered by Alma Carey of Sarasota, FL. Made with a genuine love of chocolate, this decadent brownie features vanilla-flavored white and semi-sweet chocolate morsels, chopped pecans and caramel layered within a rich cocoa batter.

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Cooling Time: 15 mins cooling

Servings: 16 brownies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut in pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
3/4 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 8-inch-square baking pan.

COMBINE flour, cocoa and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla extract; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Reserve 3/4 cup batter. Spread remaining batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle nuts and white morsels over batter. Drizzle caramel topping over top. Beat remaining egg and reserved batter in same large bowl until light in color. Stir in semi-sweet morsels. Spread evenly over caramel topping.

BAKE for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares.

Nutritional information: Calories: 310 Calories from Fat: 150 Total Fat: 17 g Saturated Fat: 8 g Cholesterol: 55 mg Sodium: 135 mg Carbohydrates: 38 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g Sugars: 22 g Protein: 4 g

Valentine's Day Cookie Recipe: Chocolate Linzer Hearts

Chocolate Linzer Hearts

Hazelnuts, cinnamon, raspberry and chocolate—incredible flavors in an incredible cookie!

Prep Time: 50 min
Start to Finish: 2 hr 30 min
Makes: 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and ground
1/2 ounce semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup rasberry jam
1 ounce semisweet baking chocolate, melted

1. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, or mix with spoon. Beat in vanilla and eggs until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except jam and melted chocolate. Beat until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (dough will be sticky).

2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll one-fourth of dough at a time between pieces of waxed paper until 1/8 inch thick. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to roll.) Cut with 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Cut small heart shape from center of half of the 2-inch hearts if desired. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam on bottom of whole heart cookies; top with cutout heart cookie. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is firm.

Nutrition Information: 1 Serving: Calories 120 (Calories from Fat 65 ); Total Fat 7 g (Saturated Fat 4 g); Cholesterol 25 mg; Sodium 40 mg; Total Carbohydrate 13 g (Dietary Fiber 1 g); Protein 2 g

Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4 %; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 1 %; Iron 0%

Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Fat

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Did You Know...
The linzertorte is a rich, elegant tart from Linz, Austria. The original tart has a buttery crust of ground almonds, grated lemon rind and spices. The crust is spread with a sweet layer of raspberry jam and topped with a lattice crust.

Valentine's Day Cookie Recipe: Cupid's Rasberry Jell-O Cookies

Cupid's Raspberry Jell-O Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (3 ounce) box raspberry Jell-O
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Using electric mixer and large bowl, combine shortening, butter or margarine, sugar, Jell-O, eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until very creamy, then add flour, baking powder and salt. Dough will be extra thick, but mix thoroughly. Roll dough into small balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass covered with sugar. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cookies should not be brown on edges.

Makes 4 dozen.

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