Description
These Heart-Shaped Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are tender, buttery, and delicately sweet, featuring a luscious strawberry jam filling and a glossy strawberry glaze. Perfectly shaped and baked to golden perfection, they make an ideal treat for special occasions or everyday indulgence. The recipe combines a classic shortbread dough with a fresh strawberry glaze and jam to create an irresistible sandwich cookie that is both charming and delicious.
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 tablespoon strawberry puree (made from 2 large strawberries, hulled and mashed with a fork)
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
- 30 ml milk
- 170 g strawberry jam
Instructions
- Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla extract: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, caster sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until pale and light. Scrape down the sides halfway through to ensure even mixing.
- Incorporate flour and salt: Sift the plain flour and salt into the creamed mixture and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together, starting to clean the sides of the bowl and forming clumps. Handle dough gently to bring it into a rough disc shape.
- Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll the shortbread dough to about ½ cm (¼ inch) thickness. If the dough is too soft, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 10-15 minutes until firm enough to roll without cracking.
- Cut and chill cookies: Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to stamp out cookies, laying them on parchment-lined baking trays. Re-roll scraps as needed, adding a few drops of water if dough becomes dry. Refrigerate the shaped cookies for at least 30 minutes to firm the dough, which helps maintain shape during baking.
- Bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 170°C (335°F). Bake chilled cookies for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Let cool on baking trays for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare the strawberry glaze: Mix powdered icing sugar, strawberry puree, and melted butter until smooth. If too thick, microwave briefly or add milk gradually to achieve a thick but spreadable glaze consistency.
- Glaze the cookie tops: Separate cookies into two equal groups for tops and bases. Dip the top half of the cookies into the glaze, letting excess drip off, then place them on a wire rack or tray to set.
- Assemble sandwich cookies: Spoon or pipe about a teaspoon of strawberry jam onto the underside of the unglazed cookie bases. Gently press glazed tops onto jam-filled bases to create sandwiches. Let sit at room temperature to allow jam and glaze to set fully.
Notes
- Step-by-Step Photos: Helpful step-by-step photos are available on the blog post to guide you through the process.
- If fresh strawberries are unavailable for glaze, substitute with 1 tablespoon strawberry jam or 1-2 tablespoons freeze-dried strawberries.
- For a simpler option, dip each shortbread heart directly into strawberry glaze without assembling sandwiches.
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week to maintain freshness.
- Freeze undecorated shortbread cookies in a freezer-safe container layered between parchment paper for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight at room temperature before decorating.
- Tips for success: Re-roll dough scraps twice for maximum yield, flour your cookie cutters to prevent sticking, always chill dough before baking to prevent spreading, and monitor baking times closely due to oven variations.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
