Description
Sweet Apricot Heart Cookies with a buttery dough, tangy apricot filling, perfect for a quick and comforting treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 3/4 cup high-quality apricot preserves
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the Dough In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt until well combined. In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Don’t rush this step—proper creaming creates the perfect cookie texture. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), beating until fully incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together. Overmixing at this stage can make your Sweet Apricot Heart Cookies tough instead of tender.
- Step 2: Chill the Dough Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each into a disk shape. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. This chilling time is non-negotiable for achieving perfect heart shapes that don’t spread during baking.
- Step 3: Prepare the Filling While the dough chills, prepare your filling by stirring together the apricot preserves and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat for about 2 minutes, just until slightly looser in consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. The lemon juice brightens the apricot flavor and cuts through some of the sweetness for a more balanced filling.
- Step 4: Roll and Cut the Cookies Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 2.5 inches), cut out as many hearts as possible. For half of these hearts, use a smaller heart cutter to remove the centers, creating frames. Re-roll scraps as needed, but try to limit this to once for the most tender cookies.
- Step 5: Assemble and Bake Place the solid heart shapes on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Brush the edges lightly with beaten egg white, then place about 1 teaspoon of apricot filling in the center of each, being careful not to overfill. Top with the heart frames, gently pressing the edges to seal. Press the tines of a fork around the edges for decoration and to ensure a proper seal. Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are just barely golden. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Step 6: Finish and Serve Once the Sweet Apricot Heart Cookies are completely cooled, dust the tops lightly with powdered sugar for a beautiful finishing touch. This not only adds sweetness but creates a lovely contrast against the apricot centers. Allow the cookies to sit for about 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld together.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160 calories
- Sugar: 11g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 30mg