Easy Heart-Shaped Biscuits and Borscht

My mom made this easy Heart-Shaped Biscuits and Borscht for my dad a few years ago, and I’m totally ripping the idea straight from her. (Thanks Mom!)

It covers several must-haves for Valentine’s Day: something red, something heart-shaped, and of course food.

For the biscuits, you’ll need:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• dash of sea salt
• 1/4 cup of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of milk
• pastry cutter/blender
• pastry brush
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• mixing bowl
• heart-shaped cookie cutter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Cut butter into pieces and work into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter.

Add in milk a bit at a time while working the dough – just enough so it comes together. You don’t want to over-work it or the biscuits will turn out like a puck instead of nice and fluffy.

Place on a lightly-floured surface and roll out to a 1/2 inch thick.

Use your heart-shaped cutter to shape your biscuits.

Take a pastry brush to paint a bit more butter onto the front of your biscuits to give them that golden-brown glaze.

Bake for 12-14 minutes.

You can stop at making just the biscuits, or go all the way and whip up this amazing Borscht. I enjoy this classic Ukrainian dish year-round, but it’s an especially lovely comfort food on Valentine’s Day when it’s still a little chilly outside. As mentioned, this is my mom’s recipe…and it’s the best!

For Mama Skelton’s Borscht, you’ll need:

• 8-10 beets
• One large onion
• 1/2 head of thinly-sliced cabbage
• 1 large can of diced tomatoes
• Two tbsp sugar
• Four potatoes – grated
• Four carrots – grated
• 3 cans of pork and beans
• 6 cups of beef broth
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 cup of dill – finely chopped

Directions:

Cook unpeeled beets in a large pot of water, then let them cool. (You can do this a day ahead of time if you like.)

Put chopped onion, potatoes, cabbage and carrots in a large stock pot. Cover with water and boil until tender.

Peel the cooked beets, then grate them. Add the grated beets to the rest of the vegetables and simmer for a few minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another 1/2 hour.

There you have it! Your tummy is full and hopefully your heart is too. Awwwwww….

xx