Description
Slice and Bake Heart Cookies are a charming and simple treat with a buttery, tender texture and a sweet heart design inside. They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or whenever you want to bake something extra special with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract for a twist)
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Red or pink gel food coloring (for the heart dough)
Instructions
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Add the flour and salt, mixing until a smooth dough forms.
- Divide the dough into two portions—keep one portion plain and dye the other with red or pink food coloring.
- Roll out the colored dough to about ½ inch thick and use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out hearts. Stack the hearts tightly together to form a log and freeze for about 30 minutes.
- While the heart log chills, shape the plain dough into a log and press a groove along one side to fit the heart log inside. Wrap the plain dough around the heart log completely and gently roll to smooth out the shape.
- Wrap the entire log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), slice the dough into ¼ inch thick slices, and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden.
- Cool the cookies on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
- Add almond extract or lemon zest for a twist in flavor.
- For chocolate cookies, swap a bit of the flour for cocoa powder.
- For extra sparkle, roll the outside of the dough log in sanding sugar before slicing.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Dough logs freeze well and can be baked straight from the freezer—add a minute or two to the bake time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
