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Heart Shaped Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies shaped into hearts and dipped in a strawberry speckled glaze! This shortbread recipe is buttery, melt in your mouth good. The bits of strawberry give the prettiest speckled pink color. You gotta try these for Valentine's Day!
Print Recipe
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Chilling time 1 hour

Ingredients  

Cookies

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour spooned, leveled & sifted
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons strawberries freeze dried (grinded), jam/preserves or fresh strawberries (mashed) will work!

Instructions 

  1. Soften butter by leaving it out on the counter for an hour, you want it soft but still slightly cold. In a large bowl, mix the butter and sugar together.
  2. Spoon, level and sift the flour over the butter/sugar mixture. Mix gently until dough just starts coming together. Don't overwork the dough!
  3. With your hands, squeeze the shortbread dough together into a mass. Shape it into a rough disc. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick.
  4. *Note: if the dough is too soft at this point, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes or longer until it firms up slightly, this will make it easier to roll out. If the dough is too hard and starts to crack when you try to roll it out, add a tablespoon of water at a time until dough comes together and is easier to roll.
  5. Once the dough is rolled out, use a cookie cutter (I used various heart-shaped ones) to cut out the cookies. Lay the cookie cut outs onto a parchment lined baking sheet or tray that can fit into your refrigerator.
  6. Bring together any scraps, re-roll and cut out more cookies. Repeat for a third time if needed. Every time you re-form the dough, it will pull in the flour from the counter surface which may dry out the dough, you can add a couple of drops of water to the dough if this happens. Remember to press gently when working with the dough.
  7. Refrigerate the stamped cookies for a minimum of 30 minutes up to a few hours (until the cutouts have hardened and the butter has resolidified). This is key for the cookies to retain their heart shape while baking in the oven.
  8. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F while the cutouts are chilling. Bake directly from the fridge for 8 to 12 mins or until just golden around the edges. This time will vary based on how thick your cookies are so watch them closely! Cool cookies on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. When cookies are completely cooled, make the glaze!
  10. Glaze: Mix the powdered sugar, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract in a bowl and stir until smooth and lump-free. For the strawberry speckled effect, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of grinded freeze-dried stawberries to the glaze. I used a mortle and pestle to do this. You can also add a tablespoon of strawberry preserves or fresh mashed strawberries. Glaze should be thick, if you want to thin it, add more milk or water until you have your desired consistency.
  11. Dip top of cookies into glaze. Place on a wire rack or tray for icing to set.
  12. Enjoy!

Notes

Notes
For the glaze: Use 1-2 tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberries, strawberry jam or fresh strawberries, mashed.
Storage: These shortbread cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week. Shortbread can be stored in a freezer-safe container layered between parchment paper and frozen for up to 3 months. I would hold off on the glaze if you plan to freeze. Thaw frozen cookies overnight at room temperature to enjoy the following day.
Tips: Flour your cookie cutters, refrigerate the cookie dough, keep an eye on the bake time. Everyone's oven runs at a slightly different temperature, a minute or two will make a big difference with shortbread.