Love is in the air with these show stopping Valentine’s Day treats created by Siúcra and Catherine Fulvio. Indulge your sweet tooth with our Orange Chocolate Shortbread Hearts with a Rum Dip – the perfect romantic dessert this Valentine’s Day.

 

 

 

 

 

Makes 24

 

Ingredients

For the biscuits

180g plain flour

60g Siucra caster sugar

A pinch of nutmeg

120g soft butter

1 orange, zest only

4 tbsp. cocoa powder, sieved

40g dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa solids), grated

40ml to 50ml cold water

 

For the dip

100g mascarpone

120ml cream

4 tbsp rum

½ tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp. Siucra icing sugar

 

100g dark chocolate, melted

Orange zest, to decorate

 

Method

To make the heart biscuits

  1. Preheat oven to 180˚C/fan 160C°/gas 4 and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
  2. Place the flour, Siúcra sugar and nutmeg into a bowl and rub in the butter until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the orange zest, grated chocolate and sieved cocoa powder.
  3. Add enough cold water for form a firm dough and lightly knead until combined.
  4. Wrap in parchment and leave to chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes before rolling out.
  5. Dust a clean surface with a little sieved cocoa powder and roll out to 1 cm thick.
  6. Using your heart shaped cutter, cut out shapes.
  7. Place the biscuits on a baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for about 14 to 16 minutes until cooked – this depends on the size of the biscuits. Remove from the oven, leave on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

 

To prepare the dip

  1. Whisk together the mascarpone, cream, rum and vanilla extract.
  2. Fold in Siúcra Icing Sugar. Spoon into a bowl and arrange the biscuits around to dip.

 

To decorate the biscuits

  1. When cold, spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag without a nozzle. Snip the end of the piping bag and drizzle the chocolate over the biscuits. Sprinkle over orange zest to decorate.