Valentine’s Day is approaching and there are a few related cookies in the app. I decided to start with Hugs and Kisses Sugar (and chocolate) Cookies.

2 separate recipes in 1? Martha, you crazy! Or is it me that’s crazy for going for it?

These looked pretty simple. Mix, roll, cut, bake. I didn’t realize how long it would take.

Since there are 2 recipes, I’ll break each down into 2 parts.

SUGAR COOKIES – PART 1

Step 1: Gather ingredients: Butter, flour, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking powder, salt.

These are going to be simple.

Step 2: (Obviously) mix flour, salt, and baking powder.

Step 3: Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy.

Check out that action shot! Falling butter!

Step 4: Wait for it to get light and fluffy.

Step 5: Add egg and vanilla.

It looked like yellow cottage cheese at this step. Blech.

Step 6: Add flour mixture

Look, Ma, no guard!

Step 7: Wrap dough and refrigerate for an hour

Okay. Moving on to the chocolate cookies.

CHOCOLATE – PART 1

Whoops. My butter was frozen. A few seconds in the microwave won’t hurt.

Step 1: Gather ingredients: Butter, flour, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, cocoa powder, cinnamon, slightly beaten egg

A little more complicated than the sugar cookie.

Step 2: Mix flour, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa powder.

I realized today that I’m balding! Look at that spot on my head! UGH!

Step 3: butter + powdered sugar = light and fluffy

Step 4: Add vanilla and egg.

Splash. Plop.

Step 5: Add flour mixture
(not pictured. whoops)

Step 6: Wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

SUGAR COOKIES – PART 2

I thought the recipe said to chill for 2 hours, so I waited a little longer than I should have.

Step 1: Generously flour a surface. Let dough sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Cute, right? I know.

Step 2: Roll it out.

What. Is. This? There is a video for rolling dough in the app and it DOES NOT look like this when she’s done. I even pressed around the edges before rolling. Remember when I said this recipe would be simple?

Step 3: Cut out X and O shapes. 

Do you like those cutters? I got them at Target.  Oh, and if you’re wondering why there’s a spatula there, it’s to lift the dough to make sure it isn’t sticking.

Step 4: Freeze for 15 minutes. 

Martha suggests chilling at each step for the “most perfect cookie”

Step 5, 6: Sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Pretty.

CHOC-O/CHO-X – PART 2

Step 1: Do the 10-min room temp thing, then roll. 

LOOK AT THAT! This one was still cracking, but looked better. This dough had a fudge consistency, so maybe that’s why.

Step 2: Cut and stuff.

Another reason to love my tiered cooling rack! Working on the top while the finished cookies were chilling out on the bottom.  If you have zero to limited counter space, you need this. Okay, Wilton, I’m ready for my check.

Step 3: Sprinkle with sanding sugar and bake. 

Sanding took so long, I forgot to take a picture. Don’t judge me. Getting loose sugar to stay on top of not sticky dough isn’t easy!

They look pretty good. They taste like…well, sugar cookies and chocolate cookies. But they’ll make me win your heart for sure!

Link to original recipe: sugar / chocolate

OMG THERE IS A VIDEO FOR THIS RECIPE ONLINE THAT IS NOT IN THE APP! Update your app, Martha! I’m pissed.

Yields: 7 dozen (3 1/2 for each recipe)
I got: 4 dozen (I only used about half the dough. The rest is still in the fridge.

Start time: 7:05
End time: 11:00 (3 hours, 55 minutes)
Martha’s estimated time: 1 hour, 33 minutes (for each recipe…so really maybe 2 hours, 6 minutes)

What did I learn? 

• Sugar cookies are not as simple as they look.
• Rolling dough is difficult.

What do I need to learn?

• How do I roll dough without it cracking? If that were a pie crust, I would have failed miserably.
• Why did the chocolate dough roll so much better?
• How do you roll and make sure it stays the same thickness all the way through? This was the hardest part for me.

So, Valentine, I hope you’re happy. I’ve got 48 hugs and kisses right here for you.

Enjoy! XOXO!

Lots of luv,
Nate