Valentine's Day is one of our favorite holidays here at 4th & Heart (for somewhat obvious reasons 💛). However you're celebrating this year, we hope you get a chance to indulge in something dangerously delicious that was baked with ghee. 

Looking for some inspiration? These delicious heart-shaped, cut out sugar cookies are made with almond flour for a healthier version of a holiday classic this Valentine’s Day. Even better, these cookies are gluten free, paleo-friendly, and lactose-free! Everyone will love these soft, buttery sugar cookies.

Photo Courtesy of Delish

Wet ingredients:

• ½ cup 4th & Heart Vanilla Bean Ghee, melted
• ½ cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Dry ingredients:

• 3 cups packed fine blanched almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup coconut flour (do not pack), plus more for rolling out the dough
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the vanilla buttercream & cookie decorations:

• ½ cup 4th & Heart Vanilla Bean Ghee
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Red Food Coloring
• Sprinkles of choice

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add the melted ghee, coconut sugar, honey, eggs, vanilla and almond extract; whisk until well combined and smooth.
2. Next, add dry ingredients to wet ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon (not a whisk) until dough comes together.
3. Divide dough into two balls or discs and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (preferably 2) or 30-45 minutes in the freezer. Also optional to chill overnight if you want to save time.
4. Once ready to bake: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Take one of the dough balls (leaving the other in the fridge, as you’ll need to work in batches) and place it on a large sheet of parchment paper that’s been dusted with a good amount of coconut flour. Add another large sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough ball and then begin to roll out into a large rectangle until the dough is about 1/4th inch thick. The dough is soft, so you need to work quickly so that it doesn’t warm up too much! This is also the best method to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin. Use your favorite heart-shaped cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes, then use a spatula to help you transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake cookies for 9-13 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the edges. If you want slightly crispier cookies along the edges, just bake for a minute or two longer. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Makes roughly 30 sugar cookies, depending on the size of your cutouts.
7. For the vanilla buttercream: Beat ghee, powdered sugar and vanilla on high until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Separate frosting into 4 small bowls and add various amounts of red food coloring to make a range of pink and red frosting colors. Frost each cookie, then decorate with sprinkles!
8. Cookies will stay good for up to 5 days at room temperature if kept in an airtight container. Cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from our friends over at Ambitious Kitchen.