I enjoy baking every bit as much as I enjoy cooking savory foods. January is typically a month when I don’t do any baking at all because I make a LOT of cookies in November and December. We are typically finishing up the remaining Christmas cookies, or watching our calorie intake a little more after the holidays. I do get a little burned out on cookie baking too. Now that it’s February and Valentine’s Day is looming, it’s time to bake again.

This recipe for Rich Butter cookies comes from my Mother-in-law, Rose Marie. I believe it came from her mother. They make the best cut-outs for Christmas, or any other occasion. I have several sizes of heart cookie cutters and enjoy making a double batch of these cookies to share with family, friends an neighbors. They are fairly sturdy and can even be packed into care packages for college kids, or just “big kids” who live far away from home.

The dough needs to be made a day ahead, or at least 3 hours ahead so that the butter in the dough can chill. This will keep the cookies from spreading too much when baking. It helps to let the dough sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so its easier to roll out. I do not recommend doubling this recipe when mixing the dough. There is too much flour to incorporate – just make two batches of dough if you want to double. The less you handle this dough, the more tender the cookies will be. Pastry flour will make a little more tender cookie too, but all-purpose flour works just fine. Save scraps from each disc of dough, combine into another disc and refrigerate for a short time before rolling out again. I often roll the dough with a piece of saran wrap or parchment paper on top so that the dough does not stick to the rolling pin. You will need to dust with flour when rolling these out, but try not to use too much – again, the cookies will become tough.

The frosting will set or harden enough if you let the cookies sit on a wire rack in a cold room (like my back porch in winter!) so that they can be stacked without sticking together. My mother in law often uses mint extract flavoring for the frosting at Christmas. It’s a really nice alternative to vanilla. Almond extract would also be a good flavor. I tend to make the frosting thick, so I always make more frosting than the recipe calls for – not always double, but close. These can be frozen or kept chilled, will be good for several weeks.