Pook’s Blog

Name: Valentines Chambord champagne cocktail
Prep time: 5 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 ounces dry champagne; 2 ounces Huckleberry vodka (*see note!); 2 ounces Chambord; ice; 2 blackberries for garnish, optional

Valentines Chambord champagne cocktail

February 1, 2022

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A Chambord champagne cocktail and a plate of langostino bruschetta are my idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day. This simple cocktail is perfect for celebrating any special occasion, or no occasion at all. With only 3 ingredients, you can whip them up in no time.

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For another drink that is perfect for celebrating, try this hibiscus champagne cocktail. It has an edible blossom in the glass to make it a bit of a showstopper.

Chambord champagne cocktail for Valentine’s Day

Chambord is a black raspberry liqueur. It’s on the sweeter side, so you’ll want to use a dry champagne for this cocktail. Look for anything labeled “brut” and you’re on the right track.

These are the coupe glasses that I used. They are the perfect glassware for this drink. It is a classic design, so they’ll never go out of style. You’ll also need a bar set for cocktails or, at the very least, a cocktail shaker and a shot glass to measure the Chambord and the vodka.

Valentine's Day cocktail in coupe glasses with blackberries.

Get some cocktail picks to skewer the blackberries for garnish. I like to match the garnish with the drink, so I wouldn’t use something like citrus or herbs, because those flavors aren’t in the cocktail.

That was something I learned when I was in culinary school – the garnish should reflect the flavors of the dish. That also carries over into libations.

Champagne cocktail with vodka and Chambord for Valentine's Day.

Vodka champagne spritzer

To cut the alcohol in this drink and make it a little lighter, you could easily turn it into a Chambord spritz. Add a few ounces of club soda or any sparkling water that you like.

I would suggest using either a plain sparkling water, or for flavored, stick with a berry flavored water so the flavor of the drink isn’t altered too much.

Chambord Valentine’s cocktail

To make this drink, you’ll add the huckleberry vodka and Chambord to a cocktail shaker with some crushed ice. Shake it up until it’s icy cold, then divide into two coupe glasses.

Champagne cocktail with vodka in coupe glasses.

Top each glass with champagne and serve immediately while the champagne is still effervescent. If you want to make your Chambord champagne cocktails ahead of time, you can pour the vodka and Chambord into the glasses and refrigerate. Top with bubbly right before serving.

Cocktails for Valentine’s Day

These pink cocktails would be perfect for a Valentine’s or Galentine’s evening.

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I hope you love this Chambord champagne cocktail as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting.

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Yield: 2 cocktails

Valentines Chambord champagne cocktail

A simple Valentines Chambord champagne cocktail that is perfect for celebrating.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

12 ounces dry champagne
2 ounces Huckleberry vodka (*see note!)
2 ounces Chambord
ice
2 blackberries for garnish, optional

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker, add crushed ice, Chambord and vodka. Shake.
Divide evenly into 2 cocktail glasses.
Top with champagne and serve immediately.

Notes

I used 44°North huckleberry vodka in my drink, but you can use any similarly flavored vodka.

Valentine cookies with marbled icing

January 28, 2022

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Sugar cookies should be enjoyed all year, not just at the holidays! These heart-shaped Valentine cookies with marbled icing are perfect for sharing. My classic sugar cookies are coated with an easy marbled icing for an extra special Valentine’s Day treat.

If you make a purchase through one of the affiliate links, I make a few pennies at no extra cost to you. Questions? Please see disclosure for info.

Valentine cookies with marbled icing

When I make these sugar cookies during the holidays, I typically use royal icing for piping. To make tie dye royal icing cookies, you could use the icing recipe in my classic sugar cookies.

For this marbled icing, however, I’m keeping it even easier – a very simple cookie icing that is stirred together, no mixer necessary.

Valentine's Day cookies with marbled icing.

What type of icing goes on sugar cookies?

You can use royal icing that is perfect for decorating, or an icing that is better for spreading or dipping, like the one in this Valentine cookie recipe. Both contain powdered sugar, but they have different consistencies.

Can I make the dough ahead?

It is ENCOURAGED. I always make my dough ahead of time and put it in the freezer.

How long does it take for the icing to harden?

It takes at least 6 – 8 hours for the icing to harden, so plan ahead. I leave mine overnight to make sure it is completely set.

Ingredients

To make these Valentine cookies, you’ll need the following 9 ingredients: all purpose flour, cake flour, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and milk or cream.

How to make soft sugar cookies with marbled icing

The first step is creaming the butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy. This takes a few minutes, don’t rush it. If the color of your mixture has not lightened, you’re not done yet.

Next, scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add in the eggs and beat until they are well incorporated.

How to make sugar cookies for Valentines.

Combine all of the dry ingredients, and add in two batches, alternating with the cream.

Lastly, roll out the dough to 1/4″ thickness between two sheets of parchment paper, then chill or freeze the dough until it is firm enough to use your heart shaped cookie cutters.

Once your cookies are baked and cooled, it’s time to dip them in marbled icing.

Marble icing – tips and tricks for success

This quick and easy marbled icing is the perfect glaze for these Valentine cookies. You’ll need powdered (icing) sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract, a pinch of salt and water (or vodka). To make it a little richer and give it some body, you can add a splash of half and half.

Before you start, make sure that the bowl you choose is wide enough to dip your cookies. You’ll want to have enough room to dip straight down, so double check that your largest cookie fits inside the bowl before you begin.

Getting the right consistency is key. Check the consistency by drizzling a bit of icing back into the bowl from a spoon.

If it takes about 8 seconds for it to completely disappear, you’re good to go. If it melts back in within a second or two, it is too thin – add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar to thicken.

How to dip Valentine cookies

Mix all of the ingredients (except the gel color) together. Add a few drops of color and use a toothpick or wooden skewer to swirl.

Dip Valentine cookies straight down into the marble icing and lift out. Tilt cookies to the side to let excess run off. I like to use a wooden skewer to gently scrape the sides so they stay clean as it is dripping off the edge.

Then, I tip the cookie in the opposite direction for a few seconds to let the icing settle on top of the cookie instead of at the edge.

To thin the icing, you can add more water, vodka, half and half or corn syrup. You have options. Corn syrup will make the icing really shiny, which is pretty, but it takes longer to set. I leave it for a full 24 hours to make sure it has hardened before I touch it.

The icing will eventually have less of a marble affect as you dip more and more Valentine cookies. You can either make two separate bowls or set some plain icing aside before you add color, so you can add white icing back into the bowl to break up the color.

Finishing touches

The last tip to make these Valentine cookies absolutely perfect is to use a toothpick or the tip of a wooden skewer to pop the tiny bubbles that might form on top after you’ve dipped the cookies in the marble icing.

It is imperative that you do this before it starts to set. If the icing is still wet, it will fill right in and you’ll never see it.

Finally, I use these snap on sheet pan lids to cover the cookies while they are drying. This allows me to stack the sheet pans so it takes up less room and it keeps everything (and everyone) out of the cookies.

Tools and fun extras for Valentine’s Day cookies

Food scale – An absolute must for bakers. Weighing ingredients is far more accurate than measuring with cups and spoons, and I cannot recommend owning a scale strongly enough.
Valentine’s cookie cutters – This set comes with an assortment of fun shapes.
Silicone baking mat – This yielded the best results. I preferred baking on this over baking on parchment paper.
Gel food color – This is the brand that I have. Avoid liquid food coloring, it won’t give you the same results and it will make the icing runny.
Luster dust is an edible food color that comes in powdered form. By mixing it with a drop or two of vodka, it becomes a “paint” to color the frosting or the cookie itself. It comes in every imaginable color and looks beautiful on iced cookies. It can deepen the colors of the frosting or just add a little shine or sparkle to give them an extra special look.
Stand mixer – This is the mixer that I’ve had for almost 10 years. It gets a TON of use and is worth every penny.
Sheet pans – Invest in heavy duty, commercial baking sheets. They aren’t pretty, but they don’t warp and they last a lifetime.

More Valentine’s Day treats

If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!

I hope you love these Valentine cookies as much as we do! Please consider rating and/or commenting.

Your shares help this site to grow and I appreciate it so much. Do you know someone who would like this? I’d love it if you would share it on Facebook or pin it to your favorite recipe board.

Yield: 36 cookies