I've always thought of Valentine's Day as a woman's holiday. Do you really think there would be as much of the color pink, red roses and dark chocolate associated with it if it weren't? To be clear, I'm not complaining. Being a woman, I love this time of year and the excuses to eat more chocolate and go out to dinner.
And to make cookies like this.
Raspberry and chocolate is one of the best dessert combinations I can think of, and both flavors shine through in these cookies. Even days after baking they are so soft they are almost bendable, and rolling them in sugar gives them a beautiful sparkle. I made several batches of these cookies for my husband's cousin's wedding reception and they were the favorite of the night. In fact, the few leftover cookies seemed to mysteriously disappear at the end of the night. :) Whether Valentine's Day is a holiday you love or hate, take some time this year to make these as a treat for yourself or someone you love.
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
3/4 packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp raspberry extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups turbinado or demerara sugar (for rolling)
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and raspberry extracts and then the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Combine the salt, cocoa, flour, baking powder and baking soda and gradually stir into the creamed mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/2 T sized balls and roll in turbadino (or demerara) sugar. Place on a baking sheet and flatten cookies slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass.
4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are puffy and the tops are cracked, but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen
