Breakfast Cookies For My Valentine

The beau does not like change. I have come to see that this is very lucky for me, because he would rather deal with me (being the work-in-progress that I am), than trade me in for a newer, younger, less troublesome girlfriend. Given his druthers, he prefers his routines and a set way of doing most things. Especially in the morning. Every day he has half a bagel (marble or sesame) and orange juice (Tropicana, some pulp, not lots of pulp), does his sit-ups, texts me to say ’good morning,’ and then has his tea (Black Mango from Trader joe’s) with a breakfast cookie. Yes, a breakfast cookie!  I think he invented the concept of “breakfast cookie” just so he could have a treat in the morning.

Since we do not get to have breakfast together very often, I thought I would make him a Valentine’s gift which would send him off each day with a reminder that I am one of his biggest fans. Breakfast cookies with a secret message!

The recipe for these yummy Lemon Heart Breakfast Cookies is at the end of this post. They were easy to bake, but I overcook everything and also forgot to sprinkle them with sugar, but they still came out plenty perfect and taste great! At least I am consistently erratic.

While they were still warm, I poked a hole in them with a skewer…

…and laced an 8 inch piece of ribbon through the hole once they were cooled.

Using my favorite hand-made papers and the cookie cutter for a pattern, I cut out hearts. On each heart, I wrote a series of silly love notes – like, “I love you more than the wind loves the night” and “I love you more than trees love their leaves” and “I love you more than the waves love the sand.”  Yes, very silly.

When my kids were little, I used to send notes like this in their lunch boxes. They still laugh about my funny notes! Well, there is the possibility that they are mocking me, but I will take any attention I can get from my teens.

We are going out to celebrate Valentines Day at dinner tonight since we will be busy with our kids on Thursday, which means I am not spoiling the surprise by posting his gift today and you still have time to make this for your Valentine if you want to!

It looked so pretty packaged up in a white box with a gingham bow! I am happy knowing that, even if I can’t be there for breakfast, he will get a little love to start his day!

Do you have a good gift idea for your Valentine?

Here is the recipe:

Lemon Heart Breakfast Cookies

Adapted from Sunset “Cookies”

by Annie Kip for www.plentyperfect.com

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

3 teaspoons grated lemon peel

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup ground almonds (I used Almond Meal from Trader Joe’s)

Sugar to sprinkle on top

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy, beat in egg yolk and lemon peel. Gradually add flour, blending thoroughly. Mix in ground almonds.

Gather dough into a ball and roll out on a floured surface until ¼ inch thick. Cut out hearts and transfer to greased cookie sheet. Place about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle cookies lightly with sugar.

Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

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