This Valentine’s Day, make the cutest treat ever: Scrabble Letter Cookies that spell ‘I Love You” with shortbread and royal icing!
I thought long and hard about the list of sweets I wanted to bake for Valentine’s Day. In fact, I spent a good portion of Saturday considering Cupid. The one problem I ran into was that the list began and ended with chocolates. Chocolates oozing and gooey with cream and caramel centers. Chocolates tucked into the teeny tiny squares of red, satiny, heart boxes. Molten chocolate lava cakes, dark chocolate truffles, triple chocolate fudge, mocha cheesecake…
But there are other things to love about the holiday, too. Things like…the stuff that gets covered in chocolate. Or even…umm…well surely…no, but really there must…
Huh.
It’s not that I’m against giving chocolate all my love on Valentine’s Day, it’s just that everyone’s giving chocolate all their love on Valentine’s Day. And well, when it comes to holiday baking, I like to think outside the chocolate box sometimes. Side note: I’m excellent with puns. End side note.
I ate a brownie as I brainstormed.
I called my mother for advice. Forty five minutes later and the list had expanded to include chocolates and white chocolates. Something about the apple not falling far from the tree came to mind as I hung up the phone. I should note we both also believe a box of chocolates to imply a single serving.
Naturally.
And then, just as I had resigned myself to a chocolate covered holiday, I remembered having seen cookies squared and decorated like Scrabble letters. Letters that could be piped and puzzled into “I Love You.” Bake at 350 is one of the most talented bakers and decorators I’ve come across. This idea is not only brilliant, but her cookies are positively beautiful.
I decided to use shortbread. Pure, lovely shortbread, who never gets her due love and affection.
Even though I am admittedly a chewy cookie person, a “Can we add a layer of chocolate, then caramel, and oh! oh! oh! what about cream filling?” person, I do love the buttery crunch of simple shortbread.
This recipe, adapted from Alice Medrich’s unbeatable twice-baked version, is tender, flaky, and unforgettable in buttery sweet flavor. I’d liken it to a thicker, crisper slab of pie dough. It’s flaky and rich. The sweetness is delicate and subtle. It’s the kind of mouthful you chew and savor and crave more of. Rounded, nutty notes of vanilla and butter sit on your tongue long after you’ve swallowed your last bite. Shortbread, with its honest taste, is among the absolute best of cookie varieties.
To make them festive for Valentine’s day, I glazed them with a simple royal icing and then thinly piped letters on top. I chose to spell “I love you,” but this Scrabble idea is certainly cute for any day, special occasion or no.
You can absolutely substitute any cookie bar recipe you love here. I chose shortbread, but I image sugar cookies work well too!
Twice Baked Shortbread
(adapted from Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich)
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
[Royal icing, for frosting, see recipe below]
[Black cookie icing fitted with a , recommended: Betty Crocker]
Stir the melted butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Stir in the flour until just combined.
Press the dough into a foil lined and greased 8” square baking dish. Wrap it tightly in plastic, followed by aluminum foil, and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and up to 24.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Pull the pan from the fridge, unwrap it, and place it in the oven for 45 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes.
Remove shortbread from pan. Cut into small squares and place them, spaced 1” apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Baked for 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. The shortbread keeps for several weeks in airtight containers.
Royal Icing with Meringue Powder
(adapted from Joy of Baking)
3 tablespoons meringue powder
4 cups powdered sugar
6 tablespoons warm water
Beat the egg whites and lemon juice until frothy. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until combined and smooth.
Royal Icing with Egg Whites
(adapted from Joy of Baking)
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add the water and beat on medium-high speed until glossy and stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Add a few teaspoons of water or additional powdered sugar gradually if you need to adjust the consistency. If you want to smooth the icing evenly over the entire surface of a cookie, the icing should fall like a ribbon off of the beater as you lift it, and it should form a mound before it dissolves back into the rest of the icing in the bowl.
**The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.
To make the cookies:
Immediately after making the royal icing, spread it carefully on the tops of each shortbread square using a butter knife or small spatula. Let the icing harden for at least an hour.
Fit a pastry bag with a Wilton #1 or #2 tip, fill the bag with black decorator cookie icing (recommended: Betty Crocker), and pipe letters and Scrabble scores on each of the squares.
I love your shortbread cookie idea for any occasion.
:-) Mandy
these are SO adorable!!! you’re so creative :)
These look so beautiful! I LOVE the Scrabble letters!
See… these can totally work both ways! I would probably make them and spell out “Boys Are Lame” with mine. To each their own, right? he he he…
how adorable! i think this would be a sweet way to ask someone to get married :)
These are incredibly cute.
I love the scrabble idea! That’s adorable. Does your man know how lucky he is? Because mine would die if I made him these. :)
I don’t think I have the concentration and the patience to make these look as stunning as you have! They look so cute and tasty!
OMG…one of my favorite treats. I haven’t made them myself but will for sure now. Also, I love the scrabble idea. I’m addicted to playing it with friends on my phone. Thanks for the tip on the meringue too. Great ideas!
these are SO awesome and cute!! I love shortbread!
Oh wow, what a cute idea! You’re going to have a happy valentine’s day, I’m sure.
Pumpkin, I hope those are on there way back to Medberry.
This is so much easier than I would have thought! And just so darn cute :)
Hmm, I never thought of using meringue powder before! Not that I make a ton of frosting- but it’s good to know that I could! :)
Oh, they look great….and that shortbread sounds fabulous! thanks for the sweet shout-out! :)
Ummm…yeah this is pretty awesome!!!!
What a creative idea! They came out adorable.
Those are just too, too cute! I may have to do this…. :)
Love, love, love the scrabble piece idea and can be used for other occasions as well. Thank you and I will share with my followers.
Kit from KidsParties123.com
Now those look AMAZING! I know you love chocolate but…. These are deffinately on my to make list. I used to love chocolate like you do but somehow, no explination, I lost my “can’t make it another minute without chocolate” fever and got down to enjoying many other treats. But then I’m an old fart so don’t listen to me :)
hi,
i am so glad to discover your blog. you unselfishly share your recipes with step by step directions on how to do it, i think i’m gonna fall in love with your food blog.
advance happy heart’s day:)
What a fantastically cute idea! A “thicker, crisper slab of pie dough” sounds heavenly…I find I love a good pie crust more than pie filling :) Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! And I agree- a good pie dough trumps the filling anyday!
This is such an adorable idea!!! Love the game scrabble and now I think I will love it even more knowing that I can eat my game pieces! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Muriel!
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Considering I’m addicted to this game on my phone, these are the perfect cookies for me! I love it and wanted to let you know that I submitted this to the M&T Spotlight: http://www.makeandtakes.com/spotlight
I made a batch of this shortbread last night just to see how it turned out. It was amazing. I never knew shortbread was so easy. I only rested it for the 2 hours and it was very tender which is necessary with shortbread as its texture is supposed to be like pie crust. Im making another batch tonight and letting it rest the full 24 hours to see if its even more tender. This shortbread is a keeper.
So glad to hear it Jaylene! Thanks :)
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I am obsessed with both shortbread and Scrabble, so this post is a double whammy. In the best way possible.
Ive made this recipe several times now and it always comes out perfect. The longer you let the dough rest the better it is. I was wondering though if anyone knew if I could substitute raw sugar for refined sugar. I know I can sprinkle it on top, but could I make the whole recipe with raw sugar substituted for white?
ok, i made them. I used sugar in the raw. they have a slightly different flavor, kind of caramel type of flavor. they dont seem to be quite as sweet but they are good and the texture is still good so its a thumbs up as far as im concerned with the raw sugar. this recipe is awesome. Im making shortbread on a regular basis now.
Thanks so much for sharing your updates Jaylene! Glad you love them!
I did this for my boyfriend for Valentines day. I used our anniversary date as the points above the letters. It was my 11 yr. old daughters idea. He loved it!. We went to the beach and we snacked on it all the way there. The leomn shortbread had a fabulous taste!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=600686514&aid=280448#!/photo.php?fbid=10150141835691515&set=a.476599006514.280448.600686514&theater
I know they are nothing close to the picture as perfection goes, but I sure had fun trying! Thanks for the great ideas!
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