Instead of bringing home store-bought cookies this Valentine’s Day, why not make your own? There are many varieties of treats to make for your significant other this Feb. 14. Take a look at the eclectic ensemble below to give you some sweet ideas!

“PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS”

Yield: 48 cookies

“Kisses” take on a whole new meaning when it comes to these cookies … and you won’t be able to stop at just one. 

Ingredients:

48 Hershey’s Kisses (milk chocolates)

½ C shortening

¾ C creamy peanut butter

1/3 C granulated sugar

1/3 C packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 T milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ C all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

Additional granulated sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 C granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Looking for a variation of this chocolate-and-peanut-butter treat? Check out these “Chocolate Heart Peanut Butter Cookies."

“VANILLA DESSERT SANDWICHES”

Yield: 24 sandwich cookies

These sweet treats are the perfect pick-me-up for after lunch or dinner. 

Ingredients:

3 C unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 C unsalted butter, softened

1 ½ C granulated sugar

2 T milk

1 T vanilla extract

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

Vanilla sugar (see recipe below)

1 recipe vanilla cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in milk, vanilla and ground vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour mixture by hand. Dough will be soft.

Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough about 30 minutes or until easy to handle. On lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time until 1/8 inches thick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles from dough. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles from the centers of half the dough circles. Place dough circles on parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Re-roll scraps, including the 1-inch dough rounds, and cut out additional dough circles as directed. Repeat with remaining dough half.

Sprinkle the dough circles that have the centers cut out with vanilla sugar. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cookies cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Spread bottoms of the solid cookies with about 1-1/2 teaspoons of the Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting. Top each with one of the cookies with the center hole, sugar side up. Refrigerate filled cookies to store. Makes 24 sandwich cookies.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ C powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium bowl, stir together cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. 

Vanilla Sugar

Ingredients:

4 C sugar

1 vanilla bean

Directions:

Pour sugar into a large, clean jar. Using a sharp paring knife, slit vanilla bean lengthwise. Insert both halves into sugar, making sure all of the bean is covered with sugar. Secure lid and store in a cool, dry place for two weeks before using. 

“CHOCOLATE-DIPPED SHORTBREAD HEARTS”

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Your delicious cookies will give you the keys to that special someone’s heart … all you need to do is go thru this easy-to-follow recipe.

Ingredients:

1 C (2 sticks) unsalted butter

¾ C sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 C sifted all-purpose flour, plus more, for dusting

½ tsp. salt

3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tsp. canola oil or pure vegetable shortening

Directions: 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar and vanilla until combined. On slow speed, beat in flour and salt until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill until firm, at least 2 hours, or overnight.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until 1/16-to-1/8 inches thick. Cut out hearts with a 2-inch heart cookie cutter. Transfer cookies to an ungreased baking sheet; chill for 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 300 degrees with a rack in the center. Press the tines of a fork into each cookie to make designs. Bake until just beginning to brown around the edges, about 18 minutes. (Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5 days.)

In the top of a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally. Stir in the oil. Dip ½ or 1/3 of each cookie into the chocolate mixture. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to dry, or place them on a piece of parchment paper in the freezer for 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

“DOUBLE THUMBPRINT COOKIES”

Yield: About 30 cookies

You’ll definitely leave your mark on your significant other’s heart with these sweet treats.

Ingredients:

½ C butter, softened

¼ C granulated sugar

¼ C packed brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

1 T milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 C all-purpose flour

¼ or 1/3 C cherry jam or preserves or seedless raspberry preserves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degree F. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. For each cookie on an ungreased or parchment paper-lined cookie sheet place 2 dough balls side by side with one side touching. Press thumbs into each ball to form an indentation in each. Press in center of each with thumb and taper bottom of cookie with fingers to form a heart shape. Repeat with remaining dough balls, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.

Bake for 7-9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and transfer cookies to a wire rack. While warm, fill each indentation with jam or preserves (if necessary, snip any large pieces of fruit). Cool completely.

“BIG LOVE BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIE”

Yield: 1 giant cookie

Even if you’re flying solo this Valentine’s Day, that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge. 

Ingredients:

Cookie

1 ½ C flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ C butter, softened to room temperature

½ C sugar

1/3 C packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

½ C butterscotch morsels

Ganache

¾ C heavy cream

¼ C butter

¾ C semi-sweet chocolate morsels

M&Ms

Heart-shaped cookie pan (approximately 11 inches wide)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover heart-shaped cookie pan with non-stick cooking spray.

For the cookies, whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and the sugars using a mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour and mix until combined. Stir in the butterscotch morsels. 

Transfer cookie dough to the pan and spread out evenly until the bottom of the pan is covered. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Remove and cool.

Make the ganache while the cookie is baking. Heat cream and butter in a saucepan until melted and remove before it starts to boil. Place chocolate morsels in a small bowl and pour cream on top. Let sit for a few seconds and stir until completely incorporated and smooth. Let cool and spread on top of cookie with an offset spatula.

Use M&M candies to decorate your heart-shaped cookie.

“VALENTINE SUGAR COOKIES”

Yield: 20-24 cookies

These sugary treats are a Valentine’s Day classic.

Ingredients:

2 ½ C all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter

8 T (1 stick) margarine

1 ¼ C sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Frosting, decorative icings and sugars

Directions: 

Have all the ingredients at room temperature. 

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter, margarine and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon zest and beat until just blended. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, beating each addition until just blended.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disk. Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. 

Generously flour 2 cookie sheets and roll out the dough directly onto the sheets to ¼-inch thickness. Using lightly floured cookie cutters, cut out cookies. Carefully gather the dough from around the cutouts and set aside to roll out again. 

Bake the cookies until the edges are just golden and the centers are just firm to the touch, 12-15 minutes. Using a thin metal spatula, immediately loosen the cookies and let them set for 3-5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack and let cool completely. When the cookie sheets have cooled, roll out the remaining dough onto the sheets, cut out cookies and bake.

Decorate the cookies with frosting, icings and sugars. Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

“CHOCOLATE FROSTED HEART COOKIES”

Yield: 3 dozen

These simple yet sophisticated cookies provide divine treats.

Ingredients:

¾ C butter, softened

½ C sugar

1 egg

4 tsp. grated orange peel

½ tsp. vanilla extract

2 C all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. salt

¼ C semisweet chocolate chips

2 oz. white baking chocolate, chopped

Chocolate, red and pink sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, orange peel and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Divide dough in half. Shape into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with a floured 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees F for 13-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Repeat with white chocolate. Frost half of the cookies with semisweet chocolate and the remaining half with white chocolate. Immediately decorate as desired with sprinkles. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

“RASPBERRY KISS SURPRISE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES”

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

These peanut butter-and-chocolate-chip cookies pack a delicious punch … as well as a center-filled surprise. 

Ingredients:

1 stick softened unsalted butter

½ C granulated sugar

½ C packed light brown sugar

1 ¼ C creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 ¼ C all purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 ½ C mini chocolate chips

24 Raspberry Hershey Kisses

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat liner.

In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter and sugars for 3 minutes. This is a must. Add peanut butter, egg and vanilla mixing until well combined. Add flour baking soda, salt and chocolate chips, mixing to combine.

Place heaping tablespoons of dough onto baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Place a Hershey’s Kiss on top of each mound of dough. Place another heaping tablespoon of dough over Kiss and with fingers press dough around edges to seal. Does not have to be perfect or tight. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until baked through. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!

“POPE’S VALENTINE COOKIES”

Yield: 2 dozen

These classy treats are scrumptious and easy to make.

Ingredients:

½ lb. butter, softened

2 ½ C sifted all-purpose flour

1 C sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 T milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Heart-shaped cookie cutter

Red or pink sprinkles (optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. 

Mix butter in a mixer until light; add remaining ingredients.

Knead until velvety. Roll ½ of the dough at a time to about ¼-inch thickness using the smallest amount of flour possible. 

Cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutter and bake on a lightly greased pan for 12 minutes. Cookies will be almost white when cooked. Cover cookies with sprinkles, if desired.  

Reach Kelli Shiroma here or follow her on Twitter.