Easy Valentine Cookies

These butter shortbread hearts sandwiched with raspberry jam are the perfect Easy Valentine Cookies gift for your loved one.

Rich, buttery shortbread biscuits filled with jam……
That is a jar of love.

Honestly, what would you prefer?

a) A little fluffy teddy bear hugging a red heart with some slushy words written on it
b) Some kind of ill-fitting, slightly dodgy undergarment(s)
c) A jar of lovingly made bite-sized biscuits

Yes I know what I’d choose too.

I’ve got to admit, Chris and I don’t really do valentines day. He has the classic male reasoning that ‘I’m romantic every day, I don’t need to buy you over-priced tat to prove it’ – and whilst some girls might grumble at that, I totally agree.
I’d be far more impressed if he came home with a bunch of flowers just because he felt like it, like he did when I left work.

In fact this valentines day I’ll be spending most of the day on a knife skills course (the cooking kind, not the ninja kind), and then the rest of it with Chris and the children.

So, whilst we won’t be going out to a posh restaurant for a candle-lit meal for two (or exchanging teddy bears and dodgy undergarments), we probably will be enjoying a few more of these biscuits….

Easy Valentine Cookies Recipe:

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Easy Valentine Cookies

Prep Time

50 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

1 hr

 

Easy valentine cookies - Buttery shortbread hearts sandwiched with raspberry jam. A gift you'll want to keep to yourself!

Course: Snacks

Cuisine: British

Servings: 40 cookies

Author: Nicky @ Kitchensanctuary.com

Ingredients

• 200 g unsalted butter softened
• 95 g golden caster sugar
• 200 g plain/all-purpose flour
• 95 g rice flour white or brown rice flour is fine
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp confectioners/powdered sugar
• 4 heaped tbsp raspberry jam

UK (metric) - **Convert to US Measures**

Instructions

1. Using a stand mixer, or by hand, mix the butter and sugar until well incorporated. Add the two flours and the salt, and mix again until just incorporated (don't over mix as it will affect the outcome of your cookies - making them tough).
2. Scoop out the dough and squash it together into a big ball in your hands. Place it onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to approx. 6mm thick. The dough is quite delicate and will try to crumble in places. Just push it back together if it crumbles.
3. Using a small (3cm across at the widest point) heart shaped cutter, cut out as many little hearts as you can, and place them on 3 metal baking trays. You should get at least 80 single cookies. You'll find the cookie cutter won't stick if you dip it in flour before you cut. The biscuits can be fairly close together on the tray, but not touching. You can re-role the dough to cut more hearts, but don't keep re-rolling over and over, or you'll end up with tough cookies.
4. Cover each of your trays of cookie hearts with clingfilm/plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 mins (up to overnight). The chilling will develop the flavour of the shortbread, and will keep the heart shape more 'sharp'.
5. When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180c/350f. Take the biscuits out of the fridge and take off the clingfilm. Sift the icing sugar over the cookies, and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the edges start to turn slightly golden. You may need to cook the trays on the lower shelves for a minute or two longer.
6. Take out of the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tray with a palette knife and place on a plate or cooling rack.
7. Once cool, sandwich two cookies together with 1/4 tsp raspberry jam. repeat with the remaining biscuits.
8. Carefully place the biscuits in 2 mason or jam jars and tie a ribbon around the lid if giving as a gift.

Recipe Notes

These cookies are best eaten within 24 hours. They'll start to lose their crispness after that (but still taste great for a couple of days)