Heart-Shaped Jam Cookies
These delightful heart-shaped cookies feature a flaky, buttery texture filled with sweet strawberry jam, perfect for any occasion and easy to make with kids.
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour Substitute with 1:1 gluten-free flour for a GF version.
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt Reduce if using salted butter.
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened Can use salted butter; reduce added salt slightly.
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar Can swap for 1/2 cup powdered sugar for a more tender cookie.
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup strawberry jam Seedless preferred for smooth spreading.
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy — about 2–3 minutes with a hand mixer.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth and incorporated.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low just until a dough forms. Don’t overmix.
Cutting and Baking
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
- Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out whole hearts. For half of the hearts, use a smaller heart cutter to remove a center window.
- Arrange the solid hearts on the prepared baking sheets (leave space — they spread slightly). Spoon about 1 teaspoon of jam onto each solid heart and spread gently to the edges.
- Top each jammed base with a cut-out heart. Press the edges lightly to seal so the jam won’t ooze out during baking.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are just turning light golden. Watch closely near the end.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
For a nutty flavor, replace 1/4 cup flour with finely ground almond meal. For less sweetness, reduce sugar to 1/3 cup and increase jam tartness. Softening butter to room temperature is essential for proper creaming.