Queen of Hearts Cookies: Celebrating 100 Years of KitchenAid

If you came along to our recent VIP Evening here at Potters Cookshop, you’ll know that KitchenAid are celebrating their 100th year this year. To mark the occasion they’ve created a stunning limited edition range: Queen of Hearts. The modern Passion Red coloured range represents energy, strength and a shared passion for culinary creations. As well as the iconic stand mixer, the range includes 6 matching appliances, all with fantastic features.

Read on to find out more about this gorgeous celebratory range, and check out the easy ‘Queen of Hearts Cookies’ recipe - it’s one you’ll fall in love with!

History

Before we start, if you’re new to KitchenAid, check out a bit of background information about this iconic brand…

Featuring a passion-inspired trimband with hundreds of miniature red hearts, and chrome accents (including a custom Power Hub cover on the stand mixer, marking 100 years of KitchenAid), the Centenary Queen of Hearts Collection is a modern contemporary twist on past KitchenAid products. So where did it all begin?

The KitchenAid stand mixer was ‘born’ in 1919 and named KitchenAid when the wife of an executive who was trialling it exclaimed that it was ‘the best kitchen aid’ that she had ever used. It offered attachments that did everything from slicing to straining, an amazing new concept to products made for the kitchen. With the addition of a bowl that secured to the base with an interlocking motion in 1937, this was the first appearance of the now iconic shape that we all know and love. The KitchenAid Stand Mixers became even more beautiful in 1955 when different colours of mixers were introduced; a choice of colours to adorn the kitchen was very well received by consumers to say the least.

KitchenAid didn’t just stop at small kitchen appliances: did you know that they launched their first dishwasher in 1949 (it was pink and white!) and their first refrigerator in 1986, leading to the brand’s first full line of major home appliances including blenders, hand mixers and food processors. Click here to browse KitchenAid at Potters Cookshop.

2019 Queen of Hearts Collection

So what’s included in this celebration collection? Here’s a rundown...

4.8 L LIMITED EDITION QUEEN OF HEARTS ARTISAN STAND MIXER 

Combining style with performance, and with a sturdy full metal construction, this stand mixer has a versatile range of accessories which you can attach through the single attachment hub to be able to grind meat, roll and cut pasta, stuff sausages, slice and spiralize vegetables, squeeze juice, make ice cream and so much more. Accessories include a 4.8L stainless steel bowl, a 3L stainless steel bowl, pouring shield, 6-wire whisk, flat beater, flex edge beater & dough hook.
It has a special stamped power hub cover and a stylish gloss finish designed to be functional, durable and easy to clean. The direct drive motor ensures that there is no power loss between the motor and attachments and helps to quickly prepare small and large batches. Along with several pre-set functions (which include mix, beat, whisk & knead) there are also 10 variable speed functions to increase control. A stunning piece of equipment that performs amazingly, whilst looking stunning on your kitchen counter.

LIMITED EDITION QUEEN OF HEARTS - HIGH PERFORMANCE BLENDER 

This blender is the easy way to make smoothies, soups, shakes, pureed foods, spreads and sauces; it can even combine soft and harder ingredients like frozen foods, ice and superfoods like chia seeds. Its powerful motor and asymmetric stainless steel blades tackle tough ingredients like these with ease. It has 9 variable speeds (including pulse) to achieve different textures and a simple control panel that ensures ease of use.

LIMITED EDITION QUEEN OF HEARTS MINI FOOD PROCESSOR 

This handy mini food processor is so simple to use, clean and tidy away. It has a stainless steel multipurpose blade, 2 speeds and a pulse option allowing you to chop, mix and purée from coarse to fine in minutes. It has a nifty drizzle basin which is ideal for creating unique sauces and dressings that can be served directly from the BPA-free work bowl which has a handy pouring spout and handle. It’s compact, lightweight design makes this food processor ideal for small kitchens and worktops, and it also features an in-bowl storage and cord wrap.

LIMITED EDITION QUEEN OF HEARTS DESIGN COLLECTION TOASTER 

This clever toaster has extra wide and long independent slots for artisan and homemade breads, and a special bagel function to avoid burning one side (which is so annoying - perfect bagels every time now!); this is achieved by reducing the heat emitted on one side. You can even defrost and reheat! The high lift option allows you to easily reach smaller pieces of bread, whilst the ‘A little longer’ button lets you determine how toasted you want your goodies.

LIMITED EDITION QUEEN OF HEARTS DESIGN COLLECTION KETTLE 

This gorgeous kettle has a timeless design and dual-wall insulation to keep water hot for longer whilst being cool to touch on the outside. The 1.5 litre interior is made from 100% stainless steel which helps to preserve water quality, whilst the 3kW heating element ensures rapid boiling.

LIMITED EDITION QUEEN OF HEARTS HAND BLENDER 

This hand blender has a strong metal body, 5 speeds and a soft-grip handle. In conjunction with its stainless steel blending arm, which is detachable in order to attach different attachments like the 710ml BPA-free pitcher (with lid for storage) and wire whisk which it comes with, it makes hand blending a dream. The pitcher can be prepped and stored in the fridge, ready for blending purée, crushing, frothing, whipping and chopping. The powerful 180-watt motor ensures consistent performance whilst the S blade ensures easy preparation and serving.

LIMITED EDITION QUEEN OF HEARTS 7-SPEED HAND MIXER 

This handy hand mixer has an efficient DC motor and 7 variable speeds with soft-start for precise control. The soft grip handle ensures comfort whilst the Turbo Beaters make even heavy batches easy. This mixer is a versatile, lightweight alternative to conventional stand mixers. The LED speed indicator is a handy feature, so you know exactly which speed you are using.

QUEEN OF HEARTS COOKIES

We thought we would treat you to a true ‘Queen of Hearts’ recipe; fitting for the occasion! This biscuit recipe takes around 30 minutes preparation time and 15 minutes cooking time, plus cooling and decoration time. Serves 12, tastes delicious and they look fab! Enjoy...

Ingredients

• 275g softened unsalted butter
• 130g caster sugar
• 250g plain flour, sifted
• 250g ground almonds
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 100g raspberry jam
• 5 Tbsp icing sugar to decorate

Method

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Gradually beat in the flour, almonds and cinnamon, a little at a time until it turns into a slightly stiff dough.
3. Roll the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film or greaseproof paper and refrigerate for an hour.
4. When the hour is almost up, preheat your oven to 170 C / Gas Mark 3.
5. Lightly flour a surface and roll half of the dough out to approximately 3mm thick.
6. With a biscuit cutter measuring about 6cm, cut as many circles from the sheet as you can.
7. Knead the leftover dough back into a ball and repeat until you have about 12 circles. If the dough is too soft to work with, re-refrigerate it for a while to stiffen it up again.
8. Place on an ungreased baking tray. Be sure to leave about 2.5cm of space between them.
9. Repeat with the other half of the dough, but cut out the centre of each circle with a mini heart-shaped cutter.
10. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until light brown, then cool on a cooling rack.
11. Spread a thin layer of jam on the tops of the full circles and place a cut-out biscuit on top like a sandwich.
12. Spoon a little bit of jam into the heart cavity to fill a little, then sprinkle the tops with icing.

So the question is: do you go for a couple of your favourite products in this collection, or go the full shebang? It's such a beautiful collection, with the addition of each product having so many clever features, high performance and brilliant quality. To buy yours click here, or browse the whole KitchenAid range here.

We would love to see your Queen of Hearts products at home (and your cookies!) - do join us on social media to share! Why not browse our blogs for ideas and recipes to use with this range - click here to browse our blogs.

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