Cupid's Cookies

I know Valentine's Day is still a few days off, but I wanted to give you a peek into my kitchen for a little inspiration.  Just trying to spread the love to you, my dear readers, who make blogging so sweet!

Okay, okay, with the saccharine sentiments aside, let's take a look at these cute cookies.  Cupid's Cookies are lovely little creations: a butter-oatmeal cookie on bottom, a pink peppermint cookie on top, and a nice big chunk of chocolate sandwiched in the middle.  Each bite is a perfect balance of flavors, and I don't think Valentine's Day treats can get much better.

Just look at that chocolate bar all melted and delicious!

It was Deborah, my mom's best friend, who introduced me to these cookies.  She used to make them (and then later hired me to make them) for the annual recital she organized for her violin students each February.  It was always a grand affair: everyone would get dressed up, she'd rent a beautiful recital hall, and she'd splurge on an amazing spread of treats for the reception to celebrate her students' achievements.

I remember being enthralled by these butter-oatmeal and peppermint sandwich cookies the first time I had them.  Deborah called them "Cupid's Cookies," and I'm so glad I have the recipe now!

She cited the Los Angeles Times as the original source, but be that as it may, I will always think of these as Deborah's cookies.  And, I'm especially glad to credit Deborah here, because, you see, she passed away from breast cancer this past December.  I'd like to think that wherever these cookies go, they will be a sweet blessing to others in her memory.  She was a lovely, courageous, and adventurous woman who was an inspiration to many, and a lady with fine taste in cookies, I might add!

So with the weekend ahead of us, there's still plenty of time to gather any last ingredients and make your own batch!  If you want to package them up as homemade Valentine's gifts like I did, just go to your local craft store and look for lollipop bags and ribbon.  Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Cupid's Cookies
From Los Angeles Times via Deborah MacCallum
Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1½ tsp. vanilla
2½ cups sifted flour
½ tsp. salt
1 cup rolled oats
¼ tsp. peppermint extract
Red food coloring
6 – 1 oz. Hershey milk chocolate bars, broken into squares

Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Sift together flour and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Stir in oats.  Divide dough in half.

Add peppermint extract and a few drops food coloring to one half.  Chill for several hours. Roll out tinted half to ⅛” thickness between 2 layers of plastic wrap.  Remove top layer of plastic and cut with smaller heart cutter. Peel cut cookies from bottom layer of plastic and arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet.  (Having chilled dough at this point makes things easier--you might want to consider rolling out the dough between the plastic wrap and then chilling for about 30 minutes before cutting.)  Roll out remaining dough and cut with large cookie cutter.

Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool slightly, then place a square of milk chocolate on larger heart and place smaller heart on top of chocolate. Press gently (you don't want melted chocolate to squirt out everywhere!) to bind. Let cookies cool completely, until chocolate is hardened.