I don’t know about you, but I love receiving a card and maybe a chocolate or two on Valentine’s Day. Sending tokens of love on the 14th February is a very old tradition, one that can trace its roots back to ancient Rome.
Early Valentine Gifts
Interestingly the earliest Valentine, still in existence today dates from 1415. It is a poem written by Charles Duke of Orleans to his wife whilst he was imprisoned in the Tower of London, after the battle of Agincourt. In the UK Valentine’s Day became popular in the 17th century and by the 18th century, all social classes were exchanging small tokens of affection. Poems and handwritten letters have now been replaced by printed cards and chocolates and flowers are the most popular small gifts.
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I think that sometimes it is nice to have a change and not rely on what you can buy in the shops. Creating something yourself to give to a loved one is extremely rewarding, so why not try these easy stencilled Valentine heart cookies this year?
How To Decorate Valentine Heart Cookies
You will need:
- Heart-shaped Cookies, I used my vanilla cookie recipe
- Heart cookie cutters
- Sugarpaste (rolled fondant)
- Rolling pin
- Heart or suitable stencils
- Edible food dusts
- Paintbrushes for dusting
- Pallet knife
To see how the stencil design is transferred to the sugarpaste, and the sugarpaste to the cookie please watch the video below. The film was originally broadcast live on the Lindy’s Cakes Facebook page.
Decorating tips when making Valentine heart cookies
Smudge proofing the decoration: Give the decorated cookies a blast of steam to set the dust alternatively spray with edible glaze once the sugarpaste has dried.
Drying time: This will depend on your environment. Mine dried overnight but the heating is on. Once the heating is off in a couple of months, it will take longer. In dry places, like Denver, they will dry in a few hours. In humid places, like Singapore, they may never dry without air conditioning!
Packaging: Pop your decorated cookie into a clear cookie bag and tie with a bow to make a gorgeous gift.
Happy baking and decorating
Lindy
‘Bringing world-class sugarcraft into your kitchen’