Valentine's Day: Lollipop Cookies

This year, kick off Valentine's Day with some homemade valentines that even Cupid would crave! These Lollipop cookies are sure to be a hit at home or for your classmates!

INGREDIENTS:
bowl of cold water
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup of butter
1/3 cup of light brown sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla
1 egg
2 cups of flour
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp of salt
12 (1 oz.) squares of milk chocolate

TOOLS:
12 popsicle sticks
wax paper
heart-shaped cookie cutter (3")
wooden spoon
rubber spatulas
bowl
egg beater
rolling pin
whisk

REMEMBER THAT IT’S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS COOK UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION. SOMETIMES WE USE OBJECTS THAT COULD BE HARMFUL, LIKE A KNIFE, SO DON’T EVER ATTEMPT TO DO THESE RECIPES ALONE.

1. Prepare your popsicle sticks by soaking them in a bowl of water for about an hour. This will prevent them from burning in the oven. Soak at least twelve so you have plenty of extras ready.
2. Melt a half a cup of chocolate chips in a pan over a low heat on the stove. Give them a stir with a wooden spoon to help them along. Turn off the stove, bring the pan to a counter, and pour the melted chocolate into a bowl to let it cool.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together some butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until it’s creamy. Add your vanilla as you beat.
4. Once the mixture is beat and creamy, add your egg. Crack and open it into a separate bowl first to avoid getting shells into your batter. Beat the egg into it.
5. Add your now-cooled chocolate into the bowl and beat it into your mixture until fully mixed.
6. Add your flour to the mixture a little bit at a time as you beat it into the batter on the beater’s slowest setting. Then add your unsweetened cocoa powder and your salt as you continue to beat. Continue beating until the mixture one big, smooth ball of dough with no visible flour. Test the mixture by pinching it together to see if it holds.
7. Gather your dough together in the bowl and break it in half into two small balls. Roll each ball of dough between two pieces of wax paper using a rolling pin. Roll from the middle of the dough outward without running off the edges. Roll out in multiple directions until the dough is about 1/8” thick.
8. Slide the rolled pieces of dough onto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. This will harden the dough enough to hold its shape when it bakes.
9. Remove your popsicle sticks from the bowl of water and blot them dry with a towel. Set them aside.
10. Remove the now-chilled dough from the cookie sheet and place it on the counter. Peel the first layer of wax paper away and use a 3” heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut your first piece of dough into shapes. Be sure to cut as close to edges of the dough as possible without going over. Push the cutter gently through until you feel the surface of the counter and then lift it out of the dough. If the cookie stays in it, push it out gently so you don’t break it. Place your cutout heart shapes back onto your cookie sheet. You should be able to cut six shapes from your dough.
11. Take your popsicle sticks and place them on each cookie so that the top of the stick meets the top of the heart. Then press down gently to keep them in place.
12. Next, use your cookie cutter to cut six more hearts out of your second piece of dough. Place these hearts over your first hearts, sandwiching the popsicle sticks in between them. Press gently around the edges of each cookie to seal the layers closed. Now your cookies are lollipops!
13. Bake your lollipops in the oven for 12 minutes at 375 degrees until they’re firm to the touch.
14. While your lollipops are baking, melt your milk chocolate in a pot on the stove over low heat until it’s smooth and creamy. Use a whisk to help it along. This will make a dipping sauce for your lollipops. Turn off the stove and empty the sauce back into a bowl.
15. Remove your baked lollipops from the oven and let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Take each lollipop by the handle and dip each side into your chocolate sauce. Use a spatula to spread the sauce on each side. Once completely coated, place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. When finished, place the whole cookie in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to solidify the chocolate around the lollipops. Then take them out and enjoy!