Double Cherry Cookie Sandwiches

What says love better than a heart-shaped cookie?

(Well, a heart-shaped cake probably says I Love You more than a heart-shaped cookie does, but cookies can be given to neighbors and co-workers and people you are just starting to date without scaring them.)

So if you’re looking for a festive Valentine’s Day treat, look no further. Your loved ones will love them (and therefore love you more), your co-workers will eat them up (and appreciate that you thought of them in an appropriately platonic way), and if you’re just baking for yourself, then good for you- you’ll love them too.

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chopped candied red cherries

1 cup cherry preserves/jam
1. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy and light, then beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt together. Stir into the butter mixture in two additions, then stir in chopped candied cherries.
2. Divide dough into thirds, wrap in plastic wrap (pressing into discs), and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes (until firm enough to roll out). Roll dough thirds out to about 1/4 inch thick, and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (periodically dipped in flour) to cut dough. (If you are having a hard time cutting the cookie shapes, refrigerate the rolled out dough on a cookie sheet until stiff enough to work with.) Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart from one another.
3. Bake in 375° oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheets (placed on cooling racks) for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely before making jam sandwiches.
4. Place cherry preserves (drained through a sieve if you prefer a less chunky texture) in a small saucepan, and simmer over medium heat for 5 – 8 minutes. Allow to cool, and spread onto cookie bottoms as ‘base’ of sandwich. Add another cookie to the top, and press gently to adhere to bottom cookie.
Tips:
- Chilling the dough before baking is necessary, although a bit of an annoyance. The cooler the dough, the easier it will be to cut your cookie shapes- and chilled dough bakes better butter cookies. It’s a fact.
- Feeling a little lazy? Skip the jam filling. Your loved ones won’t know that you didn’t love them enough to make the sandwiches.
- Freeze friendly: these cookies are technically called Icebox cookies, as they are intended to be frozen in log shapes, and then thawed slightly for a quick slice & bake. So, since this recipe makes quite a few cookies, you might choose to freeze one or two of the dough thirds for up to a month. Simply roll into logs about 8-inches long, freeze, and then slice into 1/4-inch thick cookies after thawing in the fridge for a few hours. Bake as noted above… they won’t be heart-shaped, but they’ll be tasty, and that’s lovely enough.
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February 12th, 2012 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: Cherries, Cookies