Description
Romantic heart-shaped strawberry cookies combine sweet nostalgia with delicate French pastry techniques. Delightful pink-tinted treats promise love in every delectable bite for passionate bakers wanting memorable dessert experiences.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 180 g (6.3 oz) flour
- 125 g (4.4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 170 g (6 oz) strawberry jam
- 2 strawberries, hulled and mashed
Sugar and Sweeteners:
- 60 g (2.1 oz) caster sugar
- 110 g (3.9 oz) icing sugar
Flavor Enhancers and Liquids:
- 30 ml (1 fl oz) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon melted butter
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Create a velvety mixture by thoroughly blending softened butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until the texture becomes airy and pale, ensuring complete incorporation of ingredients.
- Carefully sift flour and salt into a separate vessel, then gently fold the dry components into the butter mixture, mixing until a slightly crumbly yet cohesive dough emerges.
- Transfer the delicate dough onto a lightly dusted surface, gently pressing and rolling it to achieve an even 1/2 cm thickness, maintaining a uniform consistency.
- Carefully press the heart-shaped cookie cutter into the rolled dough, extracting precise shapes and arranging them methodically on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Refrigerate the cookie cutouts for a minimum of 30 minutes, allowing the dough to firm and stabilize before baking.
- Heat the oven to 170C (335F), then delicately position the chilled cookies inside, baking for 10-12 minutes until the edges turn a delicate golden hue.
- Allow the baked cookies to cool completely on a wire rack, ensuring they reach room temperature before decorating.
- Craft a vibrant strawberry glaze by mashing fresh strawberries and blending them with powdered sugar and melted butter until achieving a smooth, glossy consistency.
- Elegantly dip half of each cooled cookie into the strawberry glaze, allowing excess to drip off, then place on a wire rack to set.
- Complete the cookies by spreading a thin layer of strawberry jam between two glazed shortbread hearts, creating a delightful sandwich with complementary flavors.
Notes
- Butter Temperature Matters: Allow butter to soften naturally at room temperature for smooth, even mixing, ensuring a tender and flaky shortbread texture.
- Chilling Dough Enhances Flavor: Refrigerating the dough helps prevent spreading and allows butter to solidify, creating a more concentrated, rich taste.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Substitute regular flour with a gluten-free blend, maintaining the same measurement for a celiac-friendly version of these delightful cookies.
- Decorating Variations: Experiment with different glazes like white chocolate or raspberry, or sprinkle edible glitter for a festive touch that elevates the cookie’s appearance.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 175
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 12 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg