Valentine Heart Necklace Cookies

With Valentines Day not far away, we went searching for some fun themed valentine treats that you can make at home with your kids.  From our search, we located not only a great recipe to make but also a fun valentines craft to do with your children!

Today’s valentines Treat is…..

heart necklace Valentine cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 drops red food coloring
• 2 1/4 ounces colored candy sprinkles
• 60 long red vine licorice

Directions

1. Cream 1 cup butter or margarine and 3/4 cup white sugar together. Blend in egg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and grated lemon peel. Sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture and blend well. Cover and refrigerate dough for approximately 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Use a floured heart shaped 1 to 2 inch cookie cutter and cut dough into heart shapes. Place the cut-out hearts on greased cookie sheets.
4. Using the drinking straw, make a hole at the top center of each heart before baking. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until very lightly browned. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
5. To Make Butter Frosting: Mix 3 cups confectioners’ sugar and 1/3 cup butter together. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons milk. Beat until smooth making sure frosting is of spreading consistency. Stir in food coloring to create a pink or red colored frosting, if desired.
6. After cookies have cooled, frost and decorate them with nonpareils, sprinkles, dragees, or colored sugar. Use a toothpick to dislodge the hole, if necessary. Let the frosting dry.
7. To make a necklace, tie the ends off of two pieces of red colored licorice with a knot. Thread it through the hole at the top center of the cookie. Tie the other ends off with another knot to create a "chain." Makes approximately 30 heart necklaces.

*Recipe Courtesy of Allrecipes.com