Valentine's Day Cookies

Valentine's Day is fast approaching and homemade cookies are one way to show your affection towards your loved ones. This recipe makes a wonderful chocolate flavored cookie which is similar in appearance and texture to a sugar cookie. This recipe yields approximately 2 1/2 to 3 dozen cookies depending on what size cookie cutter is used.

The spices used in this recipe, such as cinnamon, clove and ginger, are associated with beauty, love and passion, all loving ways to express your Valentine's Day sentiments of affection. A heart shaped cookie cutter is the traditional shape to use when making Valentine's Day cookies. The heart symbolizes love, family and good health.

Some additional cookie cutter shapes you may want to use when making these cookies include:

Circle - symbol of movement and eternity. A circle is also a symbol of the sun, god energy and solar magic.

Crescent - symbolizes the moon, goddess energy and lunar magic.

Diamond - symbolizes equilibrium and balance, the contact between the earth and the sky and the union of male and female energy.

Triangle - symbol of harmony, proportion and good fortune.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup butter - room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar - packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon allspice

For Decorating the Cookies:
Container of vanilla frosting
Red granulated sugar
Cinnamon red hot candies

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl sift together the cocoa, baking powder, salt and flour.

2. In a small bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar.

3. Stir in the egg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg and allspice.

4. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix well.

5. This recipe makes a very stiff dough, you may need to use your hands to thoroughly incorporate all of the flour.

6. Form the dough into a large ball, cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

7. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

8. Roll the dough out to 1/4" thick on a well floured surface.

9. Use various cookie cutter shapes to cut out the dough.

10. Place the cookies on un-greased cookie sheets.

11. Gather together the scraps and leftover bits of dough and continue rolling and cutting out cookies until all of the dough has been used up.

12. Place the cookie sheets in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are very slightly browned.

13. Let the cookies cool to room temperature then spread a bit of the icing on top of each one.

14. Decorate with the colored sugar and cinnamon candies as desired.