Strawberry Heart Cookies..

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon, rind of
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups blanched almonds, ground to coarse meal
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam

Recipe

• 1 in a mixer bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar until light, about 3 minutes.
• 2 add the egg, vanilla and lemon zest and mix well.
• 3 in another bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt and add to the creamed mixture.
• 4 mix in the ground almonds; you may have to work in the last of them by hand. wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
• 5 remove the dough to soften slightly about 1 hour before rolling out.
• 6 flour a cloth or board lightly, and roll out the dough one third at a time to 1/4" thick.
• 7 placing a sheet of waxed paper on top of the dough, makes it easier to roll. cut out an equal number of 1 1/2" hearts and 3" hearts.
• 8 place seperately on 2 parchment lined or ungreased sheets and chill for 45 minute preheat the oven to 325*.
• 9 when chilled, bake the large hearts for 10 min and the little hearts 8 minutes, they should not brown.
• 10 let the cookies stand on the pans for 2 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack.
• 11 immediately, while the cookies are still warm, place about 1/4 tsp of jam in the center of the 3" hearts, then top with a smaller heart. you do want a bit of the jam to show through. cool completely and then store in tins or freeze. just before serving, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar over the tops.
• 12 we have made these with orange marmalade, grape jam etc. we have even used these at wedding showers with a variety of jams.
• 13 very rich and buttery cookies.