Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to express love and admiration to those who are important in our lives. A tea is the perfect time to celebrate special ladies in your life. A best friend, a daughter or daughter-in-law, or a precious granddaughter will love being the honored guest at your table. Tea is a time when the world slows down and we linger over a hot cup of tea and scrumptious delicacies.
TeaTime magazine celebrates Valentine’s Day with delicious foods you can prepare and serve at your tea table. The book Afternoon Tea, created by the TeaTime staff, offers a plethora of ideas for your special teas. Start planning your Valentine’s Day tea by selecting your favorite teapot, linens, and foods. Create beautiful memories over a cup of tea.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- Red paste food coloring, such as Wilton
- Garnish: confectioners’ sugar
- 1. In a medium bowl, combine flour and salt, whisking well. Set aside.
- 2. In a large bowl, combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add food coloring until desired shade of pink is achieved. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Wrap dough well in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- 3. Preheat oven to 350°.
- 4. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- 5. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut 48 hearts from dough, rerolling scraps as necessary. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, and refrigerate for 15 minutes. (This will help cookies retain their shape while baking.)
- 6. Bake cookies until a few edges are just beginning to turn very light brown, approximately 13 minutes. Remove from baking sheet, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- 7. Dust cooled cookies with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.
- 8. Store in an airtight container, and use within 3 days.
- Make Ahead Tip: Cookies can be baked in advance
How will you create your Valentine’s Day Tea memories?
