VALENTINE’S COOKIES Heart-shaped
Not your usual Heart-shaped Cookies: a thin and fragrant pastry, slowly baked to reach a deep golden color, a delight that melts in your mouth.
After a long series of recipes from Trentino Alto Adige, I couldn’t miss these cookies, a niche product but not unknown, the renowned heart-shaped cookies called “Cuori di Prada” (registered trademark) are the Rolls Royce of cookies.
The Biscottificio Prada, which has nothing to do with the fashion designer, is the oldest in Trentino Alto Adige and dates back to 1920. Since then, for more than a century, cookies and cakes have been produced following ancient recipes handed down from generation to generation in a completely artisanal way.
The flagship products are indeed the famous heart-shaped cookies, with fragrant shortcrust pastry, characterized by slow baking and an unmistakable flavor.
As you can imagine, the recipe is super secret, but during my last vacation in Trentino, a pastry chef who shared several local recipes with me confessed that after numerous attempts, he believes he has come close to, if not exactly nailed, the right recipe. I tasted both (the packaged ones and the chef-prepared ones) and I assure you they are practically identical.
So this Valentine’s Day, if you want to surprise your partner from breakfast with a sweet thought made with love, but above all delicious, try making these Prada-like heart-shaped cookies. You’ll see, they won’t be able to resist either the cookies or you! And in any case, they are so good that you won’t need to wait for this occasion to make them again; any moment will be the right one.
If, like me, you are in love with Trentino Alto Adige and its wonderful local recipes, you can’t miss these recipes either.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 40 cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Valentine's Day
- Energy 338.69 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 37.32 (g) of which sugars 13.63 (g)
- Proteins 6.17 (g)
- Fat 18.99 (g) of which saturated 9.23 (g)of which unsaturated 5.14 (g)
- Fibers 1.56 (g)
- Sodium 73.61 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 3 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HEART-SHAPED COOKIES FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 7 oz butter
- 3/4 cup blanched almonds (or almond flour)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- Mixer
- Cookie Cutter
- Baking Sheet
HOW TO MAKE VALENTINE’S HEART COOKIES
First, lightly toast the almonds in a pan or oven, being careful not to burn them. Then let them cool completely. Put them in the mixer with a tablespoon of sugar (taken from the total ingredients) and blend them until you get a flour. Pour them into a bowl.
Blend the brown sugar in the mixer until it becomes the consistency of powdered sugar.
In the bowl where you put the ground almonds, add the sifted flour with the baking powder, mix with a spoon, add the chopped butter and quickly knead by hand or with the mixer. Add the sugar, the egg, and a pinch of salt and knead again until you get a smooth and homogeneous consistency. Form a ball, wrap in cling film, and let it rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour (better if overnight).
After resting in the refrigerator, take the dough and work it quickly just enough to make it slightly soft and more manageable. Roll out a 1/6 inch-thick sheet with a rolling pin, cut the dough into heart shapes with a cookie cutter, and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, slightly apart. Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 12 minutes. Baking times vary slightly depending on the type of oven and the thickness of the cookies. Check them after 10 minutes because they can burn quickly. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
STORAGE
The heart-shaped cookies from Trentino Alto Adige, once ready, can be stored at room temperature in a cool and dry place, closed in a tin box for up to 10 days.
VALENTINE’S COOKIES VARIATIONS
Homemade cookies are always a romantic gesture, here are some more ideas to prepare a sweet thought with shortcrust pastry and love
HEART COOKIES FILLED WITH JAM
The jam-filled heart cookies are very easy and quick to prepare and super cute. You prepare a simple shortcrust pastry and create the heart shape with cookie cutters. After baking, fill them with your favorite jam and bake them for 15 minutes only. Perfect not only as Valentine’s Day treats but also for the rest of the year for an anniversary or a special occasion. Find the recipe HERE.
COOKIES WITH PISTACHIO CREAM HEART or HAZELNUT
Delicious heart-shaped cookies, easy to make, perfect for Valentine’s Day but great any time of the year! They are prepared like the classic round Linzer cookies and are filled with pistachio cream or hazelnut if you prefer. Find the recipe HERE
FAQ
Why do cookies become soft?
Cookies become soft because they absorb moisture from the environment.
How long can cookie dough stay in the fridge?
The dough can rest in the refrigerator for approximately 24 – 48 hours.
Why is the dough left to rest?
This rest phase is intended to “strengthen” the future dough so that it lasts much longer during maturation and develops more during baking.
Why is Saint Valentine the patron saint of lovers?
Many stories related to Saint Valentine’s life have contributed to associating his name with lovers. One of these stories tells that one day the saint met two young people who were arguing. He approached them with a rose and invited them to hold it together in their hands, a gesture that immediately reconciled them.
