Description
These adorable heart-shaped shortbread cookies melt in your mouth with buttery goodness! Perfect for Valentine’s Day baking with loved ones – simple enough for beginners yet absolutely delicious. Our secret vanilla bean addition adds gourmet flair to this classic recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (80g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pink sanding sugar (for decoration)
- Optional: White chocolate drizzle & sprinkles
Instructions
- In large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Mix in vanilla.
- Gradually add flour and salt, mixing until dough just comes together. Do not overmix.
- Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Line baking sheets with parchment.
- Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness on floured surface. Cut with heart-shaped cutters.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until edges just begin to golden. Cool completely.
- Decorate with sanding sugar or dip in melted white chocolate. Let set before serving.
Notes
Storage: Keep in airtight container up to 1 week.
Substitutions: Use gluten-free 1:1 flour blend for GF version.
Tip: For extra tender cookies, replace 2 tablespoons flour with cornstarch.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: B
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Scottish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 15mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: valentine cookies, easy shortbread, heart-shaped treats