Whole Grain Valentine's Day Cookies with Hannah Fink

Makes approximately 1 dozen cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Press the flowers between 2 sheets of parchment paper and weigh down with a heavy book or pan. Leave sitting like this for at least 30 minutes.
2. Cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer (or by hand with a wooden spoon and fork!)
3. Whisk flour and salt together in a separate bowl.
4. Fold flour into creamed butter with a wooden spoon, and work until it just comes together/all the flour bits are incorporated. You will likely use your hands for this towards the end.
5. Using plastic wrap, roll cookie dough into a long cylindrical log. Chill for 15 minutes or until firm. Using a knife, cut discs about 1/2” thick.
6. Chill the cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking if they have gotten warm while cutting the dough. Bake 15 minutes, rotate pan in the oven, then bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.
7. Upon removing cookies from the oven, quickly press pansy flowers into the warm, baked cookies - they will wilt and adhere. You can sprinkle raw sugar on top too for extra crunch and color.

Makes approximately 30 cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer (or by hand with a wooden spoon and fork!)

3. Add egg and vanilla and incorporate.

4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Add this to the wet dough and incorporate just until all dry bits are mixed in. Add in almond meal.

5. Using a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap, pat the dough out into a flat disc. Use a rolling pin to roll it to about 1/4-1/2” thick. Refrigerate for approximately 2 hours, or until it is chilled fully and firm.

6. Take dough from fridge, dust your work surface with flour, and then the top of the dough, and roll it to about 1/8” thick. Stamp out as many circles/shapes as you can. Place half the shapes on a baking tray with parchment paper.

7. Bake 15-20 minutes, with one rotation in the middle. Look for the edges to start getting golden.

8. Once the cookies are cool, dust the tops (the cookie with shape stamped in it) with powdered sugar, then turn the bottoms (the full cookie) upside down and scoop about 1 teaspoon of jam into the center. Top them with the top cookie and enjoy!

Makes approximately 1 dozen cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread rye flour out on a sheet tray with parchment and toast it for about 10-15 minutes, taking out to stir once about halfway through. It will be fragrant by the end. Set aside and let it cool.
2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer (or by hand with a wooden spoon and fork!).
3. Add in egg and vanilla and incorporate.
4. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to wet dough and incorporate just until all dry bits are about half-way mixed in. Then add the chopped chocolate and mix the rest of the way.
5. Chill dough in bowl uncovered for about 15-20 minutes until it is scoopable without being too messy. Take it from the fridge and scoop approximately one dozen equal portions. Quickly roll these into balls and place them on sheet tray with parchment.
6. Place dough back in fridge covered with plastic wrap and chill it. Ideally for several days so the flavors “age”, but for at least a couple hours. You want to bake the cookies cold.
7. Preheat oven to 350 and bake for about 10-12 minutes. Turn the pans in the oven around and bake 5-7 minutes longer. The tops will no longer be shiny and the bottom edges will begin to brown.
8. Top with flaky sea salt while they are still warm if you desire!