Being not exactly a huge fan of neither

Being not exactly a huge fan of neither marzipan nor Valentinsday this recipe may come to you as a surprise, but when my collagues over at Küchengötter demanded something romantic, chocolate-y for Valentine’s day I finally gave in – and discovered a new favorite homemade treat for myself!

Their name stems from the two main ingredients (MArzipan & PIStachios) and now you have my promise that I won’t be using this kind of naming concept any time soon in the near future. Whether or not you celebrate Valentine’s, these will make any recipient happy – throughout the year. We prefer them chilled, straight from the fridge – ‘love the sound when the chilled chocolate layer breaks!

Finely grind the pistachios either in a food-processor or with a mortar and pestle and cut the marzipan into thin slices. Put both into a bowl, add Cognac and sieved powdered sugar, then knead together by hand until you receive a uniform marzipan-dough.
Sieve some powdered sugar onto your working surface and roll out the marzipan like any other cookie dough. Use more powdered sugar whenever the marzipan tends to get sticky again. Cut out hearts (or any other not to filigree shape) with a cookie cutter when the dough is thin enough (~0.5 cm/0.2 inch). Chill hearts for half an hour in the fridge (covered) to give them additional firmness.
Meanwhile cover a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Slowly melt the milk and/or dark chocolate couverture over a hot bain-marie (the pros temper their chocolate). Using a (truffle) fork dip the chilled hearts – one after another – into the melted chocolate until completely covered, remove excess chocolate by taping the fork on the side of the bowl, then place the hearts on the parchment paper.
Even prettier : Melt white chocolate couverture over a hot bain-marie and fill into a small ziploc bag. Cut off only a tiny part of one corner and decorate the chocolate hearts with thin, white stripes, shapes or even names. Let dry completely, then store in closed containers.