Cooking with Kids: Heart Shaped Sandwiches

Cooking with Sadie - Sweetheart Sandwiches

by Kat Kinsman
Super Sammies
Eight year old Sadie and her mom wanted to work together to make a cute and yummy Valentine's Day treat to share. They decided to make heart-shaped tea sandwiches. Follow along at home with their easy step-by-step guide.

Jolie Novak

Set It Up
First Sadie gathered together her ingredients and supplies.
- Bread, oat and whole wheat ideally, because they're sturdier)
- Cream cheese
- Strawberry jam
- Heart-shaped cookie cutter
- Red food coloring
- Small strawberries, washed and sliced (optional)
Mom's tip: A well-prepared cook is a less-messy, quicker cook. Help your child get everything ready so the process goes efficiently.

Jolie Novak

Press Down
Sadie placed the cookie cutters on top of the slices of bread, sometimes fitting two on the same piece, and then pressed down to make an impression.
Mom's tip: Cookie cutters, even plastic ones, can have sharp edges. Monitor your child closely, and make sure they don't press down too firmly.

Jolie Novak

Trim the Edges
She followed the outlines she'd made with the cookie cutters, and gently pulled off the extra pieces of bread.
Mom's tip: Waste not, want not. Let the extra pieces dry overnight and grate them into breadcrumbs.

Jolie Novak

Halfway There
That left her with pretty little pieces of heart-shaped bread. But she wasn't finished yet!
Mom's tip: Have fun and play around with other shapes like stars, animals and letters of the alphabet.

Jolie Novak

To Dye For
Sadie took a bottle of red food coloring and dripped a few drops of it onto a scoop of cream cheese
Mom's tip: Sadie loves pink, but that doesn't mean your child can't try out every color of the rainbow. Mix and match to create new shades.

Jolie Novak

Stir It Up
Then she stirred in the food coloring until it turned the cream cheese a smooth, pink color.
Mom's tip: Sadie wanted a solid color, but your child might find that swirls are even more fun.

Jolie Novak

Spread It On
Once the cream cheese is to a color she liked, she gently spread the cream cheese onto one side of the bread heart.
Mom's tip: A light, slow touch lowers the risk of knife slippage and bread tearing.

Jolie Novak

Plate Them Up
Don't Sadies hearts look pretty all on a plate together? If she wanted to, she could also put slices of fresh strawberries on top of the cream cheese.
Mom's tip: Play around with color and flavor combinations like blueberries with blue cream cheese or mint leaves on green.

Jolie Novak

Jam On
Sadie also made a few with spread-on strawberry jam. She loves to eat them alone, or paired with a cream cheese half.
Mom's tip: Do you pack your child's lunch for school? They'll get a giggle if their PB&J or turkey sandwich is in the shape of a heart. It's just another little way to say "I love you," even when you're not there.

Jolie Novak