Sugar Cookie Hearts

By pamdabear3383

Simple butter and sugar cookie dough, baked into precious heart shapes. One half gets a smear of raspberry preserves and then is topped with a top cookie. Dust with confectioners sugar or dip in melted semi-sweet or white chocolate. These are also good filled with lemon curd, Nutella, dulce de leche, melted chocolate, peanut butter, or apricot preserves. Dollar stores have great heart tins to pack these into.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 yolk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/8 teaspoon salt
• Finishing Touches
• Melted semi sweet chocolate, as required
• Raspberry preserves, about 1/2 cup

Details

Servings 24

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a mixer bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Add egg and yolk, then vanilla, almond extract and cream. Fold in flour, baking powder and salt. Make a soft dough. Pat dough into two discs and chill it for 1 hour or more.

2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Roll dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into heart shapes. On half the cookies, use a ½ inch round cutter or mini-heart cutter, cut out a center of dough.

4. Place cookies on baking sheet.

5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool well. Smear some jam on a bottom cookie and top with another cookie with the center hole removed. Then, dust cookies with confectionres sugar or dip one side of the cookine into cooled melted chocolate or simply drizzle on chocolate all over top of cookie. Let set before wrapping or serving.

Makes 2–3 dozen

Tip: Fortify the flavor of the jam with some raspberry extract or raspberry eau de vie.