Espresso Hearts with Chocolate Drizzle for Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day! I hope you are enjoying this weekend. Over the holidays I made these Espresso Shortbreads and loved the delicate flavor. For Valentines Day I decided to make a version of those in heart shapes, drizzled with chocolate.
They are light with a hint of espresso and a little bit of chocolate. Wrapped up in cellophane with a little ribbon they would make the perfect Valentine’s Treat.

Espresso Bean Shortbread Hearts
Adapted from Martha Stewart recipe

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely ground espresso beans
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Whisk flour, espresso, and salt in a bowl. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, and mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture; mix on medium-low until dough comes together. Shape into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Roll between sheets of parchment to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out hearts with a cookie cutter; space 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment. Reroll scraps; cut out. Freeze 10 minutes.
Bake until set but not browned, about 9 minutes. Let cool on sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely.

While cookies are cooling melt chocolate chips in a saucepan or in the microwave. Using a toothpick drizzle over the cookies. Let harden.