Valentine’s Day Cookies

How do you say Happy Valentine’s Day? Say it with healthier treats that are made by you! Because Valentine’s Day should be about the personal touch!

Valentines is a special time around my house. It’s gift cards and cookies, chocolate and cakes, kisses and love. We love to sit around and eat our favorite cookies, embrace one another, and appreciate the good times together. In all of that love, we also bake. Shortbread cookies are among one of the top picks for Valentine’s day. Creating a cookie that delicious and healthy for us wasn’t too challenging. Swapping out some unhealthy ingredients with others and voila, the perfect heart-shaped cookie was created. These Valentine’s Linzer cookies taste just as incredible as they look.

This recipe calls for gluten-free flour. If you make or buy your own blend, ensure it has guar gum to hold the cookie together. Traditionally, shortbread cookies are made with butter, but we swapped out that culprit for the healthy superstar called coconut oil. Ensure that the coconut oil is room temperature and not melted or your shortbread cookies may not hold up in the oven.

We made our own jam for the center of these cookies. The chia jam takes five minutes from start to finish. The best part about this jam is that you control what goes in it. No refined sugars or additives. You can use an abundance of organic fruits. If the berries aren’t in season, frozen berries are a perfect alternative. The great thing is that it lasts for up to a week and a half in the fridge in an airtight container. You can play around with the berries you add to your jam. This jam is not only packed with nutrients but also is busting with protein.

These cookies will last for up to a week in an airtight container. They are gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, and guilt free. You will need two different size cookie cutters, a smaller round shape cutter and a larger cutter for the cookie. You can play around with different cookie cutters such as circles, squares, or hearts.

Valentine’s Day Cookies

Chia Jam

Ingredients

• 2 cups berries of choice (blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, blackberry)
• 3 tablespoons Sunwarrior Chia Seeds
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

Directions

Place all ingredients into a blender and pulse for 40 seconds. Transfer for a mason jar or air tight container. Place in fridge for set for 1 hour.

Cookie recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup coconut oil (room temperature
• 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon Sunwarrior Sea Salt

Directions

1. Ensure the coconut oil is at room temperature. If you are finding it hard to scoop, place the container somewhere warm for it to warm up for 15 minutes.
2. Place coconut oil in a mixer or use an electric mixer by hand. Cream the coconut oil until smooth and there are no lumps. Add remaining ingredients
3. Remove dough from bowl and form into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 1 hour
4. Preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
5. If the dough is firm, slice into 1 ½ inch pieces. Using your cookie cutter, press down into pieces and remove excess. For half of the pieces, use the smaller cookie cutter to create the center.
6. Bake for 17–19 minutes or until lightly browned
7. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let cool for 1 hour
8. Using your chia jam, spread 1 tbsp on each cookie and top with secondary cookie with the whole in the center. Sprinkle with icing sugar (optional)