Cherry-Filled Heart Cookies
Taste of Home
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"These crisp, flaky cookies are a wonderful way to show you care," reports Audrey Groe from Lake Mills, Iowa. "They take a little effort, but the smiles of satisfaction make it worthwhile."
SERVINGS: 27
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 50 min. Bake: 10 min./batch
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- FILLING:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup red maraschino cherry juice
- 12 red maraschino cherries, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Additional sugar
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and shortening; gradually add sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, for filling, combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Add juices, cherries and butter. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 1 minute. Chill.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-in. thickness; cut with a 2-1/2-in. heart-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour.
Place half of the cookies on greased baking sheets; spoon 1/2 teaspoon filling in the center of each. Use a 1-1/2-in. heart-shaped cutter to cut small hearts out of the other half of the cookies. (Bake small heart cutouts separately.) Place the remaining hearts over filled cookies; press edges together gently. Fill centers with additional filling if needed. Sprinkle with sugar.
Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. Yield: about 4-1/2 dozen filled cookies.