Pink Popcorn Hearts
Ingredients:
1 bag (10 oz) large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 drops red food color
8 cups popped light butter flavor microwave popcorn (from 3.5-oz bag)
Directions:
1. In 3-quart saucepan, cook marshmallows and butter over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat. Stir in food color.
2. Stir in popped popcorn until evenly coated. Cool 5 minutes.
3. With buttered hands, shape 1 cup mixture into heart shape. Repeat with remaining mixture. Wrap each heart in plastic wrap.
Red Hot Heart Cookies
Ingredients:
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
Red food color
1 cup powdered sugar
3 teaspoons milk
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup red cinnamon candies
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper.
2. Remove dough from package; knead in red food color until dough is desired shade. Shape dough back into original log shape; cut into 18 slices. On cookie sheet, place slices 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 6 to 10 minutes or until set. While still warm, cut cookies with 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. In 6 of the cookies, use small round cookie cutter to cut out center of heart. Gently remove cutout portion of cookie. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely.
4. In small bowl, mix powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup and vanilla with whisk until smooth. Tint with red food color. Spoon icing into decorating bag fitted with small round tip or small resealable food-storage plastic bag with tiny corner cut off.
5. For each sandwich cookie, pipe red icing around top edge of 1 whole heart cookie. Top with 1 heart cookie with cutout center; pipe red icing around edge of heart. Fill hole in center with candies. Top with second whole heart cookie.
Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon red food coloring
For the filling:
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 2 additions. Add the food coloring and beat until combined. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead a few times. Roll into a 10-inch-long, 1-inch-diameter log; wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, make the filling: Pulse the coconut, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, salt and vanilla in a food processor until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap. Slice the dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Spread about 1 teaspoon of the filling on the flat side of half of the cookies, then sandwich with the remaining cookies.
Sources:
http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/puffy-pink-popcorn-hearts/a4b0aa6d-91a4-40f5-b5ec-b247c3fe811e
http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/red-hot-heart-cookies/5a2c80e6-8d25-47bc-b635-36fecb93a7e9