Pastry Cookie Hearts: Beautiful and Delicious

Ingredients:

For the Pastry Dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-3 tablespoons cold water

For the Filling:

• Your favorite fruit jam or preserves

For Decoration:

• Powdered sugar for dusting

Cooking Steps:

Step 1: Prepare Pastry Dough In a food processor, combine all-purpose flour, cold and cubed butter, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together.

Step 2: Chill Dough Gather the dough, shape it into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 3: Roll Out and Cut Shapes Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). On a floured surface, roll out the chilled pastry dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out heart shapes using a cookie cutter.

Step 4: Assemble the Pastry Cookies Place half of the heart-shaped dough pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon a small amount of your favorite fruit jam or preserves in the center of each heart, leaving a border around the edges.

Step 5: Top with Another Heart Place a second heart-shaped piece of dough on top of each filled heart. Press the edges gently to seal and create a heart-shaped pastry cookie.

Step 6: Bake Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Keep an eye on them to prevent over-browning.

Step 7: Cool and Dust with Powdered Sugar Allow the pastry cookie hearts to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar for a beautiful finishing touch.

Step 8: Serve and Enjoy Serve these beautiful and delicious Pastry Cookie Hearts as a sweet treat for yourself or share them with loved ones. Perfect for special occasions, afternoon tea, or whenever you crave a delightful pastry.

These Pastry Cookie Hearts are a delightful way to spread love and sweetness. Enjoy the combination of buttery pastry and fruity filling in each heart-shaped bite.