Valentine's Day Heart Cookies

Ingredients

• 250 g soft butter
• 100 g sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 0.5 tsp unprocessed grated lemon zest
• 300 g flour
• 100 g finely ground blanched almonds
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 200 g powdered sugar
• food coloring (red and pink)
• 100 g powdered sugar
• 2 drops lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cream the soft butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, add the lemon zest and beat until fluffy. Mix the flour with the almonds and baking powder and fold half of it into the egg mixture. Knead the remaining flour by hand, form a ball, wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. 2.

   After refrigeration preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan‑heated. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

3. 3.

   Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3–4 mm, cut out hearts roughly 8 cm in size, and place them spaced apart on the tray using a palette.

4. 4.

   Bake in the preheated oven for 10–12 minutes until pale. (Do not over‑bake; the cookies will firm up as they cool.) Remove the hearts from the parchment and let them cool on a wire rack.

5. 5.

   For the glaze whisk powdered sugar with 3–4 tbsp water gradually, then color with food coloring. Spread the glaze over the cooled cookies and allow to dry.

6. 6.

   For the icing write with powdered sugar mixed with a few drops of lemon juice until thick. Fill a small freezer bag with the icing, cut a corner, and decorate the cookies in a decorative pattern. Let dry and store airtight.