A Very Maine Valentine's

Maine has all these things about it. Unique things. But no Valentine's treats (except candy lobsters). These are very Maine and very Valentine's. It was my dad's idea. ;)

Since the focus is on the shape and decorating, I'm not going to post a sugar cookie recipe. This one is what I used though and I really like it. 

So, what you are about to make is a bakery-worthy Maine Valentine's cookie. So you'll need:

1 batch sugar cookie dough

1 lobster cookie cutter

1 heart (or other shape) cookie cutter

Roll out the dough and cut out a lobster and a heart.

Remove the dough around the cut-outs and move the lobster to a baking sheet.

Now, take the lobster cookie cutter, and use the tips of the claws to cut shapes out of the heart.

Place the cutter just over the edges of the dough (above) and then slide away (right). This will leave a cut out of the bottom of the heart in the shape of the lobsters claws. This will keep the cookie from having a big lump in the middle. That probably doesn't make sense yet but the next step should clarify it.

Place the heart on the baking sheet just about the lobster and slide it so that the lobster's claws fit into the cuts you made in the hearts. Like a puzzle. Press down to seal them together into one cookie.

Slide them together...

...press to seal.

Bake the whole thing according to the directions in the recipe. Let it cool for awhile when it comes out of the oven because if you try to move it to a cooling rack while it's warm, the tail or the claws will probably break off. On that note, you should probably make more of these than you think you need because they break a lot when they're fresh.

Make the icing from the recipe above and put a small amount of red food coloring in it to make it pink. Frost just the heart(s).

I made mine with a cookie cutter that was two hearts stuck together.

Add more red food coloring to the icing to make it red. If you don't like food coloring, you don't have to use it. Or you could find a natural alternative. It's up to you.

Now do the lobster with the red icing.

Tada! I made one of these for each of my teachers and they all liked them. I think they're really funny. And yummy (I made a rhyme!). I use a pastry brush to apply the icing because it makes it thinner and it gives it a really smooth icing. Also, the recipe for icing in the recipe I mentioned at the top is perfect for brushing on. It also hardens in an hour or two so you can package the cookies without ruining the frosting.