Here’s an easy to make dessert for your Valentine’s Day or any other time you want to give your sweetie a heart. While it is simple, you need to allow time for the baked cookies to cool down before cutting, then allow them to chill before you top it off to serve. This works best when you assemble just before serving.

Initially, I made these by cutting the valentine shape from the raw dough, but I think you’ll have fewer breaks if you cut them after the dough is cooked and is still cooling. Use a valentine-shaped cookie cutter or cut out a pattern, place it on the dough, and cut around with a knife. Then let the cookies cool until firm before putting the valentine ones in the ‘fridge to get completely cold.

These look pretty and taste fantastic!

Valentine Cookie With Cocoa Swirl and Strawberries

Sugar Cookie Base
1/2 cup Low Carb All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 teaspoon Almond Extract
1/2 cup Butter, softened
1/2 cup Sugar Substitute
Pinch Salt

In a medium bowl, beat the Butter and the sugar substitute with a mixer until creamy. Add the almond extract and beat to incorporate. Add the flour 1/4 cup at a time until it is all combined. It may look like lumps, but use your clean hands to pull it together into a ball.

Heat oven to 350 degrees (F.)

Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Cover a bread board or pastry board with parchment paper. Put the dough on the board and press it into a circle. Place another piece of parchment over the top and roll it into a circle about 1/4-inch thick.

Remove the top paper and place the dough and the bottom parchment paper onto a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookie dough should be lightly browned. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then take a 2-1/2 to 3 inch valentine cookie cutter and cut out four cookies. If you don’t have a cutter, then cut a valentine pattern and use a sharp knife to cut around the pattern placed on the dough.

Allow the cookies to cool complete, then remove the excess dough from cut cookies and place the valentines in the refrigerator to cool while another 30 minutes. This allows the butter to set again and makes it easy to handle the cookies.

Eat the pieces you removed from around the cookies or save for topping ice cream.

Next, make the filling.

Cocoa Cream Cheese Fluff
4 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 cup Heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons of Hershey’s sugar free Chocolate Syrup
Or 1/4 cup Unsweetened Powdered Cocoa
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar-free Sweetener

In a small bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Spoon 4 tablespoons into a cup.

In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sweetener until light and fluffy.

Add half of the whipped cream and mix well.
Use a silicone spatula to fold in the rest of the whipped cream, excluding the 4 tablespoons you set aside.

Topping
20 Strawberries, sliced in half and sprinkled with sugar substitute
Whipped cream, save from the earlier step.

Assembly to be done before serving:
Take one of the valentine cookies and place on your serving plate. Spread a thick layer of cocoa fluff over the top and smooth it out.

Place 1/2 strawberry in each top curve of the cookie, two more on the sides, and a 1/2 strawberry inverted in the point at the bottom.

Use a small spoon to spread whipped cream between the strawberries.

Drizzle some chocolate syrup over the top and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories 494 , Total Fat 45 g , Cholesterol 119 mg, Sodium 281 mg, Potassium 349 mg, Carbohydrates 17 g, Fiber 8.9 g, Sugars 4.5 g, Protein 11 g, Net Carbs 8.1 g

Note: Nutrition information is based on the ingredients I used in this recipe and my measurements. Although they are a close calculation, your results may be slightly higher or lower. Ingredient substitutions may affect the carb count. Different brands may have other carb counts.