Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Cleo Coyle’s Pretty in Pink Coffeehouse Cookies for #Valentine’s Day

Cleo Coyle has a partner in

crime-writing—her husband.

Learn about their books

by clicking here and here.

Our readers may remember these pretty, pink cookies from our recent bestselling culinary mystery Dead Cold Brew. Our beloved amateur sleuth Clare invented them for her Village Blend coffeehouse, where they continually sell out, especially around (yes) Valentine’s Day.

Consider this recipe our culinary Valentine for you. The cookies are easy to make. No special decorating skills needed, yet they make an impressive-looking addition for any party tray. As for the taste, they’re tender and delicious. The sophisticated cream cheese dough carries a sweet, light note of raspberry (or, if you like, cherry or strawberry). And, because the eyes eat first, Clare suggests you present your cookies in style with loose, whole raspberries, sliced strawberries, fresh cherries, or even cranberries as a decorative accent on plates or trays.

💕 Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.
May you eat with pretty, pink joy!

~ Cleo

💕

To download this recipe

in a free PDF that you can

print, save, or share, click here.

Click here for the Free Recipe PDF.

💕 Cleo Coyle's

Pretty in Pink Coffeehouse Cookies

for Valentine's Day

Makes about 30 cookies (depending on size)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated, white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed (2 ounces) cream cheese, softened
(use block cream cheese, not whipped)
3 Tablespoons chunky cherry, strawberry, or raspberry preserves
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 cup all-purpose flour
Extra granulated, white sugar for finishing

Pretty in Pink Icing (recipe attached)

*This recipe was also published in Cleo Coyle’s
bestselling Coffeehouse Mystery Dead Cold Brew.

Directions:

Step 1: Make the pink batter – Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Next add the fruit preserves, salt, vanilla, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Mix in the flour until well blended. Do not over-mix.

Step 2: Chill – The dough is too wet & sticky to work with at this stage. You must wrap it in plastic and chill it about 1 hour in freezer or 2 in fridge. After chilling, it will be firm enough to handle.

Step 3: Roll and *flatten – Preheat your oven to 375° F. Roll dough into balls, drop in granulated sugar and coat. Place on a lined baking sheet. Butter the bottom of a glass, dip the bottom in sugar, and flatten your first ball of dough. Dip the glass in sugar again, and repeat until all the dough balls are flattened.

*Note on the rolling and flattening: The larger you make the ball of dough and the harder you press on the glass, the larger and thinner your cookies will be. Experiment with the size and thickness of your cookies until you get the kind you like best.

Step 4: Bake cookies – Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Cool cookies completely before frosting with my “Pretty in Pink” icing. See icing recipe below. Cleo Coyle’s Pretty in Pink Icing.

💕 Cleo Coyle's
Pretty in Pink Icing

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons whole milk, half-and-half or light cream (do not use low fat milk)
1 cup white chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons chunky cherry, strawberry, or raspberry preserves

Directions: Heat the milk (or light cream or half-and-half) in a microwave-safe bowl for about 30 seconds—the milk should be very hot to the touch. Add the white chocolate chips and stir for about a minute. If the chips are not fully melted after a minute, place the bowl back in the microwave for 10 seconds and stir again. Finally, add the fruit preserves and stir until you have your beautiful “pink chocolate” icing. Work with it while still warm. I spoon it onto the cookies and use the back of the spoon to lightly spread and smooth it into an even layer. Once spread, the icing will set in about 30 minutes (faster if you chill the cookies in the fridge).

Note: If you do not have a microwave, create a double boiler by placing a glass or other heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Warm the milk, then add the chips and stir continually until melted. Take the bowl off the heat and stir in the fruit preserves.

WARNING: Be sure to mix the fruit preserves as instructed in the recipe--i.e., after the chocolate is melted into the milk. If you try to "save time" by adding the fruit preserves to the milk before heating, you will end up with a fugly gray mess! (Ask me how I know.) Finish cookies, and…

Click here for the Free Recipe PDF.

Happy Valentine's Day 💕

Eat (and read) with joy!

~ Cleo Coyle

New York Times bestselling author
of The Coffeehouse Mysteries

Alice and Marc in Central Park.

Together we write as Cleo Coyle.

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