7 Days of Valentine’s Cookies: Day 3
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If you’re a fan of classic black and white cookies, get ready to fall in love with their Valentine’s-inspired counterpart: Blush and Bashful Cookies! Inspired by one of the most iconic moments in the movie Steel Magnolias where Shelby, played by Julia Roberts, describes her wedding colors as “Blush and Bashful,” insisting that “My colors are blush and bashful. I have chosen two shades of pink, one is much deeper than the other.” Her mother, M’Lynn (played by Sally Field), dryly responds, “Her colors are pink and pink.” This scene perfectly captures Shelby’s romantic, ultra-feminine personality—and it has since become a cultural reference for anything drenched in pink!
This variation of the classic New York black and white cookie is the perfect inspiration for a Valentine’s cookie—soft, sweet, and oh-so-pretty in shades of pink. These Blush and Bashful Cookies are a tribute to Shelby’s signature style and the enduring charm of Steel Magnolias.
These cookies swap the traditional chocolate and vanilla glaze for two dreamy shades of pink. With their signature soft, cake-like base and a sweet, glossy icing in deep blush and delicate bashful hues, they’re the perfect treat for sharing (or keeping all to yourself).
I’m using the tried and true recipe from Baked: Explorations for an authentic NYC black and white cookie for this recipe – with my own pink twist of course.
Whether you’re baking for a Galentine’s get-together, a cozy night in, or just because you love a pretty cookie, these Blush and Bashful delights will bring a little extra romance to your kitchen. Let’s dive into the recipe!
Blush and Bashful Cookies
30-36
Cookies30
minutes9-12
minutesA pink take on the classic New York black and white cookie inspired by Steel Magnolias signature colors – blush and bashful
Ingredients
- Blush and Bashful Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour (360 grams)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (198 grams)
1 1/4 cups sugar (250 grams)
2 large eggs (about 100 grams)
1 large egg yolk (about 15 grams)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
3/4 cup buttermilk (177 mL)
- Blush Icing
1 cup powdered sugar (120 grams)
1 Tablespoon + 1-2 teaspoons pomegranate juice (or sub cranberry or cherry juice)
a pinch of kosher salt
1 drop of red food coloring
- Bashful Icing
1 cup powdered sugar (120 grams)
1 Tablespoon + 1-2 teaspoons milk
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
a pinch of kosher salt
1 drop of red food coloring
Directions
- Blush and Bashful Cookies
- Preheat an oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients, and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will take 2-3 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time.
- Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest.
- Alternate mixing in the buttermilk and dry ingredients until incorporated.
- I like to chill the dough for a couple hours to make it easier to scoop and hold its shape, but you can skip this step if you want to.
- Scoop the dough into 2 Tablespoon size balls – I use a #30 scoop for this.
- Bake for 9-12 minutes.
- I like to flatten the cookies when they come out of the oven, but you don’t have to do this.
- Cool completely.
- Blush and Bashful Icings
- In two separate bowls, combine the ingredients for the blush and bashful icing and mix until combined.
- To ice the cookies, flip them over onto the flat bottom and cover the entire surface of each cookie with one of the colors. Let this color dry completely – this will take about 15-20 minutes.
- Once the first color has dried, ice the second color onto half of the cookie. I do this by dragging the line down the middle and then pushing the icing out the edges of the cookie. Enjoy!
Notes
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