St Valentine's Day Treat - Orange Chocolate Shortbread Hearts with a Rum Dip

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

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

To decorate the biscuits

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.