When it comes to celebrating Valentine's Day, there's no better way to show your love than with a sweet treat. Whether you're making a 'special dessert' for that 'special someone' or just want something unique and festive for friends and family, these gelatin cookies will be a bite to remember.

Decadently sweet and delightfully crisp, these Valentine's Day cookies are made with a simple cookie dough and flavored with strawberry gelatin. The cookies are then cut into heart shapes and decorated with white and pink frosting. The end result is a delicious and festive Valentine's Day treat that's perfect for sharing with your loved ones.

Not only do these cookies taste amazing, but they're also incredibly simple to make. Whether you're a beginner baker or a seasoned pro, you'll be able to whip up a batch of these cookies in no time. Plus, the heart-shaped cookies are as much a treat for the eyes as they are for the palate, making them perfect for Valentine's Day parties as a decorative centerpiece.

So if you're looking for a fun and festive Valentine's Day treat, look no further than today's Jello Heart Cookies. Read on for an ingredient checklist and tips on prepping the cookies.

Ingredient Checklist

Strawberry gelatin. The star of the show, we're using strawberry gelatin as the main flavoring for the cookies, as well as the source of their color.
Shortening. We're using shortening instead of butter for this particular recipe, and that's by design. Details below.
All-Purpose Flour. For best results, I strongly recommend sticking to all-purpose flour. Baking flour results in a much lighter, more delicate cookie, such that the cookie will fall apart unless the recipe is specifically tailored to that type of flour.
Baking Powder. This helps the cookies to rise, while enhancing the texture. The recipe simply does not work without this ingredient.
Vanilla. I'm using vanilla extract, but paste or pods would also work fine. Those substitute at a one-to-one ratio by volume. I'm using Nielsen Massey Pure Vanilla Extract, as they've been a favorite in my kitchen for many years now.
Sugar. Use granulated or superfine sugar for today's recipe.
Egg. For this particular recipe, don't try to substitute the egg. The egg serves a couple of purposes. The main reason is to act as a binder, helping to hold the cookies together and give them structure. The egg also adds flavor (via fat), moisture, and richness to the cookie. In addition, the lecithin in eggs helps to create a softer, more tender cookie. Finally, it acts to give the dough 'lift.'

Baking with Shortening, the "When" & the "Why"

Texture. Shortening will result in a crispier or crunchier texture as compared to butter. As such, shortening is typically (but not always) used in recipes such as macaroons, meringues, or shortbread cookies.
Higher Temps. When a recipe calls for very high baking temperature, shortening is often (but not always) preferred, as it has a significantly higher melting point than butter. At such high temperatures, the butter would begin to burn.
Dry Recipes. In dryer recipes, or in recipes where moisture needs to be kept to a minimum, shortening is preferred over butter, as it is drier than butter.
Cookies that are likely to spread. This again relates to the higher melting point of shortening. In baked goods that are likely to spread or expand significantly during baking, shortening is often (though very far from always) preferred over butter, as the higher melting points aids a more even spreading or expansion. In the case of cookies, this will prevent the cookies from being 'too' flat.
Less Dense Recipes. Due to shortening containing very little moisture, shortening is often preferred in baked goods that are lighter or less dense.