Valentine's Day Recipes
Sweetheart Cookies
Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (about 2 large lemons)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, lemon rind, baking soda and salt; mix well.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract; continue beating until light and fluffy. Stir in oat mixture; mix well. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Divide dough into quarters; work with one quarter at a time, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with floured 2 1/2 inch heart-shaped cookie cutter. Use a 1 inch heart shape cookie cutter to cut out a hole from the center of half the hearts. Re-roll and cut scraps. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
- Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove to wire rack; cool completely.
- To assemble cookies, spread 1 teaspoon preserves in the center of each solid cookie.
- Lightly sprinkle cookies with cutouts with powdered sugar.
- Place sugar covered cookies, sugar-side up, on top of the cookies with preserves.
- Serve cookies within 1 day or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
Omit powdered sugar. Drizzle melted dark or white chocolate over cookies with cutouts.
Melt chocolate in a heavy saucepan or double boiler over low heat, stirring constantly. OR, to microwave, place 1 to 4 ounces chocolate in a microwave-safe container; cook on MEDIUM (50% power) for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir.
To drizzle chocolate easily, spoon melted chocolate into 1-quart heavy-duty plastic storage bag. Seal bag. Cut a 1/4 inch or smaller opening in corner of food storage bag. Squeeze chocolate over cookies with cutouts.
Attribution
Recipe and photo used with permission from:
Quaker Oats