Description
Sweet Apricot Heart Cookies: Buttery, almond-flavored treats filled with tangy apricot jam. Quick, comforting, and perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- ⅔ cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup (215g) apricot preserves or jam
- 2 tablespoons (15g) powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes using an electric mixer. The mixture should turn pale and increase slightly in volume. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract (if using). In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt, then gradually add this dry mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until the dough comes together and no flour streaks remain. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make your Sweet Apricot Heart Cookies tough rather than tender.
- Step 2: Chill the Dough Divide the dough in half and form each portion into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. This chilling time allows the butter to solidify and the flour to hydrate properly, resulting in cookies that hold their shape beautifully during baking.
- Step 3: Form and Shape the Cookies Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Using a 2½-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out as many hearts as possible. Transfer these hearts to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut additional cookies until all dough is used.
- Step 4: Create Indentations and Bake Using your thumb or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon, press an indentation into the center of each heart, maintaining the heart shape. Be sure to make the indentation deep enough (about ¼ inch) to hold the apricot preserves. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes until the edges just begin to set but before they start to brown.
- Step 5: Add the Apricot Filling and Finish Baking Remove the partially baked Sweet Apricot Heart Cookies from the oven. If the indentations have puffed up, gently press them down again. Fill each indentation with about ½ teaspoon of apricot preserves, being careful not to overfill. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for an additional 7-8 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired, creating a beautiful contrast with the bright apricot centers.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 35mg