Description
These delightful Heart-Shaped Strawberry Shortbread Cookies combine buttery, tender shortbread with a luscious strawberry glaze and jam filling. Perfect for special occasions or a sweet treat, the cookies are made with simple ingredients, chilled for shape retention, baked to a delicate golden edge, and then lovingly assembled with a fresh strawberry glaze and sweet jam for an irresistible bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Basic Shortbread:
- 125 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Strawberry Filling and Glaze:
- 110 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 2 tablespoons strawberry puree (from 2 large strawberries, hulled and mashed)
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
- 30 ml milk
- 170 g strawberry jam
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and caster sugar and cream them together for about 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until pale and light. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl halfway through. Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
- Combine Flour and Salt: Sift in the plain flour and add the fine salt, then mix on low speed until combined and the dough begins to come together. The dough will look raggedy but is ready when it cleans the sides of the bowl and clumps in the middle. Squeeze the dough by hand into a rough disc shape.
- Roll Out Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about ½ cm (¼ inch) thickness. If the dough is too soft, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or longer until slightly firm to roll without cracking or sticking.
- Cut and Chill Cookies: Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to stamp out cookies. Place cutouts on parchment-lined baking trays. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut additional cookies as needed, avoiding overworking the dough. Refrigerate the cutouts for at least 30 minutes until firm to ensure they retain shape during baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat the oven to 170°C (335°F). Bake the chilled cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn just golden. Cool cookies on the baking tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Glaze: In a bowl, combine powdered icing sugar, strawberry puree, melted butter, and stir until smooth. If too thick, microwave for up to 10 seconds to loosen or add milk/ lemon juice/ water a little at a time to reach a perfect consistency.
- Glaze the Cookie Tops: Separate cookies into two equal groups (‘tops’ and ‘bases’). Dip the ‘top’ hearts into the strawberry glaze, letting excess drip off. Place on a wire rack or baking tray to set.
- Assemble Sandwich Cookies: Spoon or pipe about one teaspoon of strawberry jam onto the underside of each ‘base’ cookie. Gently sandwich with a glazed ‘top’ cookie. Serve immediately or let sit at room temperature to allow jam and glaze to set fully.
Notes
- Step-by-Step Photos: Visit the blog post for helpful photos guiding you through each step.
- Without Fresh Strawberries: Substitute with 1 tablespoon strawberry jam or 1-2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberries in the glaze.
- Alternative Serving: Instead of sandwiches, dip each heart in glaze for a simple treat.
- Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week.
- Freezing: Freeze undecorated shortbread in a freezer-safe container layered with parchment for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before filling and glazing.
- Tip 1: Re-roll the dough scraps carefully to maximize cookie yield but avoid overworking.
- Tip 2: Flour cookie cutters to prevent sticking and preserve cookie shape.
- Tip 3: Refrigerate dough cutouts before baking to prevent spreading.
- Tip 4: Monitor bake time closely as ovens vary; a minute or two makes a difference with short baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
