I love Valentine’s Day. As my friend Beth put it the other day, “I don’t care what my romantic situation ever looks like, I will forever get 4th-grade decorate-a-shoebox-for-your-valentines excited for Valentines Day,” and I have to agree. Cards and flowers and chocolate and everything in special boxes and packaging… to me, Valentine’s Day is about love – not romance. It’s a day set aside to appreciate those you love most, regardless if they’re your best friend, spouse, significant other, relative, etc. It’s just an opportunity to show you care, if you want to.

I send cards to those closest to me, give out flowers, and of course, make special treats. Originally I wanted to attempt strawberry macarons for this holiday, but since I’m moving at the end of the month (full oven! fridge! dishwasher in my new place! – HOORAY!) with a better oven in the future, I decided to postpone. These popped up in my daily cookie newsletter from Martha Stewart and sounded delish. Plus I had an entire container of malt powder sans one tablespoon begging to be used.

I had fun renaming these with a little  dry humor knowing a lot of my friends and peers roll their eyes at Valentine’s Day and the entire stigma of it, but it really does fit. The cookies are rich and dark, with such a great added pungent flavor from the malt, and the filling is just so divine. Like drinking a chocolate malt, only in frosting form. How can you eat that and not feel the love?

<3

Frosting.

Open hearts.

Did I mention how excited I am to have a dishwasher again?

Sprinkles.

All you need is love.

—

Chocolate Malt ‘Hearts of Darkness’

Makes 2 dozen sandwich cookies.

Based on the recipe by Martha Stewart.

I obviously made sandwich cookies here, but you could easily just make 48 cookies, frost them with the filling, and then decorate them with awesome, obnoxious heart sprinkles or fun nonpareils of your choice. Just enjoy it.

Ingredients

For the cookies:

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup plain malted milk powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons hot water

For the filling:

• 5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup plain malted milk powder
• 2 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons half & half
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

For the cookies:

1.)   Preheat oven to 350° F with the rack set in the center. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.)   In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

3.)   With the mixer running on low, add the egg, sour cream, and hot water. Reduce speed to lowest and add the dry ingredients.

4.)  Scoop a heaping ½ tablespoon of batter and plop onto prepared baking sheet. Be sure you give ample space (at least 2 inches) in between each cookie. Bake until flattened and firm, but not crisp – about 9-10 minutes.

5.)  Cool for a few minutes on the pan, and then using a small, heart-shaped cookie cutter, press onto the cookies. Discard the scraps (unless you’re feeling super ambitious and then make cake pops with them) and let cool completely.

For the filling:

1.)   In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until everything is incorporated. Let cool to room temperature.

2.)   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cup of malted milk powder and cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the half & half, chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Refrigerate covered until set, about 30 minutes. Beat again on high until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

To assemble the cookies:

1.)  Spread a heaping ½ tablespoon filling on the bottom of one cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat. Cookies can be refrigerated between layers of parchment in airtight containers up to 3 days.

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