Suprise your loved ones with these chocolatey kiss cookies. The perfect easy gift for Valentine’s Day. This recipe is based on one by Rachel Allen From Rachel’s Favourite Food for Living.

For the biscuits

175gself raising flour

75g caster sugar

75g butter

2t instant coffee powder or granules

1t hot water

1 egg

For the chocolate icing

50g butter, softened

100g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

3t cocoa powder

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Place the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and blend until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  3. In a cup or small bowl, mix the coffee with the hot water, then add the egg and whisk together.
  4. Add this to the food processor and process until the dough comes together. (If making this by hand, rub the butter into the flour and sugar in a bowl, then add the coffee, water and egg mixture and bring together to a dough.)
  5. Dust the work surface with icing sugar and then roll out the dough until it is 5mm thick and, using a 4cm in long heart-shaped cutter, cut out 50-60 heart shapes. (If the dough is a bit soft before shaping, chill it in the deep freeze for 10 minutes before using.)
  6. Place the hearts slightly spaced apart on two baking trays (no need to grease) and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and slightly firm at the edges.
  7. Remove from the oven and carefully lift off the tray with a metal slice while they are still very hot to prevent them sticking. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
  8. For the chocolate icing, mix the soft butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl using a wooden spoon, or in the food processor, until it comes together.
  9. Use the icing to sandwich the cookies together. If you dip a table knife into hot water as you work, it helps to spread the icing. Store in a box for two or three days.

Makes 25-30 biscuits

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes with a minimum of 8 participants and a maximum of 12 as this gives everyone hands-on experience and keeps the cooking class small enough for maximum learning. These cooking classes are conducted by our senior instructors who have extensive experience in the food industry and share a variety of additional cooking tips throughout the cooking class.