Sharing God's Heart - Guest Deb Garland

      If God is love, then why not share His love with others in a sweet way on Valentine’s Day? My recipe for Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Hearts from Special Teas by M. Dalton King might be one way to give your family, friends or a stranger a taste of His love.

“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11 NKJV)

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Hearts

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

1 pound unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour
8 ounces semisweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Cream butter. Add sugar gradually. Add flour, making sure it is well mixed, but don’t overwork. Pat out the dough on a lightly floured board until it is about ¾-inch thick. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out hearts and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cook 15 to 20 minutes or until cookies are golden brown on the edges. Watch the first few batches closely and lower oven to 350º F or 325º F if they cook too quickly.

Place baked cookies on a rack to cool. Melt the chocolate in a microwave-proof container for about 45 seconds per square, depending on the oven. (If you don’t have a microwave oven, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler that has been coated with cooking spray until the chocolate liquidizes.) Dip half the heart into the melted chocolate so that you have a black and white effect.

Lay dipped hearts on a plate covered with wax paper. Place plate in the refrigerator 1 hour or until chocolate has set.

Store the hearts in a cool, dry container with sheets of wax paper between the layers. Undipped hearts can be frozen up to 2 months, providing they are well wrapped.

Deb Garland writes Christian historical romance novels set in the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia and Alaska.  She is an ACFW First Impressions winner (Historical Romance) and My Book Therapy Frasier Finalist. She enjoys sailing, horseback riding, sipping tea with her husband and friends, and stamping greeting cards. You can connect with Deb at her website: www.debgarland.com, or on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.