Coronary heart Cookies – Texanerin Baking

Coronary heart cookies are a traditional deal with, good for Valentine’s Day or any event. With their buttery, chewy texture and candy jam filling, they’re at all times successful. These cookies are simple to make, customizable, and nice for gifting. They are often made historically or gluten-free.

I attempted just a few other ways to make heart-shaped cookies. I experimented with making cut-out sugar cookies utilizing my Almond Flour Sugar Cookies as the bottom. I additionally tried shaping different cookie dough into coronary heart shapes, however the methodology in at the moment’s recipe proved to be the quickest and best possibility.

My Coronary heart-shaped Chocolate Chip Cookies are even faster than at the moment’s recipe, however you then’re left with lots of cookie scraps.

Which may both be an excellent factor (since you get to maintain all of the scraps for your self!) or a foul factor (since you get to maintain all of the scraps for your self!).

However they’re chocolate chip. I wished one thing pink. So right here we’re!

Please word that this “making hearts in a thumbprint cookie” methodology doesn’t work with each thumbprint cookie recipe. I first used the dough from my Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies and so they unfold WAY an excessive amount of.

I didn’t even hassle making an attempt with my Gluten-free Thumbprints as a result of simply by wanting on the images, you’ll be able to see that they crack across the edges. That’s high-quality for regular thumbprints, however not cookies the place you need them to maintain their good spherical form.

So I’d follow the recipe under to make sure your coronary heart cookies come out completely.

Substances

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Right here’s an summary of what you’ll want.

• Unsalted butter – I did do that recipe with coconut oil and the outcome wasn’t as tasty, and the cookies cracked a bit. They didn’t look good! I haven’t tried these cookies with vegan butter, so I can’t advocate it for this recipe.
• Granulated sugar – no sub potential for this recipe.
• Egg yolk – utilizing simply the yolk helps the cookies unfold much less and maintain their form higher. Egg whites comprise extra moisture, which may trigger the dough to unfold extra throughout baking. Utilizing simply the yolk reduces the general moisture content material. Yolks even have extra fats, which can assist stabilize the dough and preserve the cookies from spreading an excessive amount of.
• Almond extract – supplies a delicate nutty taste that enhances the cookies. You’ll be able to substitute with vanilla extract or lemon extract when you don’t have almond extract.




• Flour – you should use all-purpose flour or King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour for a gluten-free model.
• Jam – any jam will work, however strawberry jam offers the brightest pink shade, which is ideal for Valentine’s Day-themed treats. Make sure that to get a seedless jam that’s not chunky! Chunky jam would end in some ugly-looking hearts.
• Salt

The way to make them

That is only a regular thumbprint cookie recipe, however with coronary heart indentations.

Within the bowl of a stand mixer or utilizing an electrical hand mixer, beat collectively the butter and sugar till mild and fluffy. Scrape down the perimeters of the bowl as wanted.

Combine within the egg yolk, almond extract, and salt till totally mixed. Add the flour and blend on low pace till properly mixed. You’ll have one thing that appears like crumbs.

Roll the dough into sixteen 1-inch balls.

Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet that may slot in your freezer. Use your pinky finger to softly create a coronary heart form in every cookie ball.

Press calmly however firmly, guaranteeing you don’t press by way of the dough. Fill every indent with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.

Freeze them for half-hour. This helps them retain their form throughout baking.

Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C). After the dough has chilled, bake the cookies for 13-Quarter-hour or till the perimeters are calmly golden. Allow them to cool earlier than transferring to a wire rack.

Ideas

Listed here are some useful suggestions to make sure your heart-shaped cookies end up completely.

• Don’t overfill the jam – use about 1/2 teaspoon of jam per cookie. An excessive amount of jam can overflow throughout baking, making a large number and inflicting the cookies to lose their form.
• Use parchment paper – at all times line your baking sheet with parchment paper. It helps stop sticking and makes cleanup a lot simpler.
• Watch the baking time – keep watch over your cookies as baking occasions might differ barely relying in your oven. The cookies are finished when the perimeters are golden brown.

Troubleshooting

Should you observe the instructions and don’t make any subs apart from what I’ve talked about within the submit, you shouldn’t have any points. However when you do, listed below are some options.

• Dough is simply too sticky – in case your dough is troublesome to deal with, chill the dough for a bit longer.
• Dough is simply too dry or crumbly – strive including a tiny little bit of water (about 1/2 teaspoon at a time) till it comes collectively. Watch out to not add an excessive amount of, because the dough can change into too sticky.
• Cookies are spreading an excessive amount of – make sure that the dough is chilled correctly earlier than baking. In the event that they’re nonetheless spreading, you might want so as to add a bit extra flour.

The way to make forward, retailer, and freeze

These are nice to make forward! Right here’s how far upfront you can also make them.

• Dough – put together the dough and refrigerate it for as much as 2 days earlier than baking or freeze for as much as 3 months.
• Jam-filled dough balls – you’ll be able to put them in an hermetic container and freeze for as much as 1 month. I’m undecided about refrigerating the jam-filled dough balls. I’d follow freezing to be on the protected aspect.
• Baked cookies – may be saved in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 2 days or refrigerated for every week. You can too freeze the baked cookies for as much as 3 months. To freeze, place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze till agency, then switch to a freezer-safe container or bag.

Jam choices

If strawberry jam isn’t thrilling sufficient, listed below are some concepts to change issues up.

• Raspberry – the tartness of raspberry jam pairs superbly with the sweetness of almond. Should you choose a lemon model, use lemon extract and add a couple of tablespoon of lemon zest. That might additionally work properly with strawberry or blackberry jam. For the stone fruit choices under, I’d go together with almond extract.
• Blackberry – for a barely tangier possibility, blackberry jam is a good alternative. As I stated above, make sure that to make use of jam that’s not chunky. You received’t be capable of make nice-looking hearts if there are chunks of blackberries in your jam.
• Peach jam, apricot or cherry preserves – stone fruit and almond are a match made in heaven. Cherry gives you one of the best shade for hearts, however the shiny orange hearts that you simply’ll get with peach and apricot can be cheery-looking. If making the cherry preserves, smash the cherries with the underside of a glass to make sure the preserves come out good ands easy.

Gluten-free possibility

To this point, I’ve solely tried these cookies with common all-purpose flour and with King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour.

The gluten-free model is simply as scrumptious because the one made with all-purpose flour. I haven’t tried this recipe with Bob’s Crimson Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-free Baking Flour, however primarily based on related recipes I’ve made, the cookies could be a bit grittier in comparison with King Arthur’s.

Or they won’t maintain their form as properly. It’s inconceivable to say with out making an attempt it. And for that motive, I can’t actually advocate making an attempt every other varieties of gluten-free flour blends. Even when they’re meant as a direct sub for all-purpose flour, they might end in cookies that unfold a bit an excessive amount of, making for sloppy hearts.

I hope you’ll take pleasure in these coronary heart cookies! I’d love to listen to your ideas within the feedback under. Thanks for studying! 🙂

❀

• Prep Time: 20 min
• Prepare dinner Time: 13 min
• Prepared in: 1:05 h
• Yield: 16

Substances

• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/3 cup (66 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 massive egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons (140 grams) all-purpose flour or for gluten-free, use King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Measure for Measure Flour
• 3 tablespoons (40 grams) strawberry jam (a easy, seedless one)

Instructions

1. Within the bowl of a stand mixer or utilizing an electrical hand mixer, beat collectively the butter and sugar till mild and fluffy. Scrape down the perimeters of the bowl as wanted.
2. Combine within the egg yolk, almond extract and salt till totally mixed.
3. Add within the flour and blend on low pace till properly mixed. You’ll have one thing that appears like crumbs. If you wish to use your palms to kind a dough, you’ll be able to, however I simply weighed out the 20 grams from the bowl. The dough may be refrigerated for as much as 2 days earlier than baking or frozen for as much as 3 months.
4. Roll into sixteen 1-inch balls (about 1 tablespoon or 20 grams every). Place the balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet (this won’t go within the oven) or dish that may slot in your freezer.
5. Use your pinky finger to create a coronary heart form in every cookie. Press gently however firmly to kind a large indent, ensuring to not press by way of the dough. Fill every heart-shaped indent with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Place on the parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze the cookies for half-hour to assist them retain their form throughout baking. Preheat your oven to 350 ° F (175 °C) whereas they chill.
6. Take away the cookies from the freezer and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced 2 inches aside.
7. Bake for 13-Quarter-hour or till the perimeters are set and the bottoms are calmly golden.
8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for five minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill fully.
9. Retailer baked cookies in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 2 days or refrigerate for every week. You can too freeze the baked cookies for as much as 3 months. To freeze, place the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze till agency, then switch to a freezer-safe container or bag

Recipe by Texanerin Baking | www.texanerin.com