Valentine-y Vanilla Hearts

Choose which applies best -
A) I think it's another marketing gimmick by greeting card companies, restaurants, soft toy manufacturers, Hollywood, chocolate makers, florists...

B) I don't go overboard with the mushy stuff but there's no harm in having some fun.

If you chose A, replace the word 'hearts' with 'cookies' and proceed
If you chose B this recipe is for YOU!!!

VANILLA HEARTS
(adpated from Williams Sonoma Essentials of Baking)
(makes 16)
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup super fine sugar
1 tsp good quality vanilla extract
sugar for dusting

Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Sift flour into a large mixing bowl. Rub in butter with your fingers until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add sugar and extract and knead into a firm dough.

Place on a lightly floured surface and roll out into a disc of 1inch thickness. Cut out heart shapes with a 2 inch cutter.

Arrange on sheet and bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes or until light golden. Transfer to rack to cool. Dust with sugar before serving.

* These are the easiest cookies (rather shortbread) you will ever make. No stirring, whisking, creaming yet the dough comes together nice and fast. It gets a little difficult to cut out the cookies as the butter softens, so work quickly. They taste like the famous Shrewsbury biscuits of Pune ("khushkhusheet" for those who understand) with a more prominent vanilla flavor.

On another note, it's award season in blogosphere (thanks Manisha for the heads up). I am thrilled to be nominated alongside some fabulous blogs. Do visit the Indibloggies site and vote for your favorite - and I can't resist adding, it would be great if your favorite were me!