Filled Heart-Shaped Strawberry Shortbread Cookies Recipe
These Filled Heart-Shaped Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are a perfect blend of buttery, tender shortbread cookies with a sweet strawberry jam filling and a smooth strawberry glaze. Ideal for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or anniversaries, they offer an impressive and beautiful presentation using simple pantry staples. They are forgiving enough for beginners yet elegant enough to impress guests, with make-ahead options for easy party prep.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 47 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Shortbread Dough
- 4.8 oz unsalted butter, cubed (preferably Kerrygold for richness)
- 2.1 oz sugar
- 1.25 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 6.5 oz all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the Strawberry Glaze
- 4.2 oz powdered sugar (sifted)
- 2.5 tbsp strawberry puree (fresh or thawed frozen, drained)
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 fl oz milk (any type)
- 0.5 tsp lemon juice
For the Filling
- 6 oz strawberry jam (Bonne Maman or good quality berry jam)
Instructions
- Prepare Mise en Place and Make the Cookie Dough: Sift the powdered sugar for the glaze to ensure no lumps. Soften cubed unsalted butter to room temperature to cream easily. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- Form and Chill the Cookie Dough: Gradually add the flour and salt mixture to the creamed butter-sugar mix on low speed and mix just until the dough comes together—avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies. Roll the dough out between parchment paper to 1/2 cm thickness. Cut into heart shapes with a cookie cutter. Place cookies spaced 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to prevent spreading.
- Bake the Cookies: Preheat oven to 170°C (335°F). Bake chilled cookies for 10-12 minutes until set but still pale with tender edges; avoid overbaking. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing.
- Make the Strawberry Glaze: In a small bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar, strawberry puree, butter, milk, and lemon juice. Mix until smooth and spreadable. Adjust consistency by adding milk if too thick or powdered sugar if too thin. The lemon juice enhances flavor and balances sweetness.
- Assemble the Shortbread Sandwiches: Separate cooled cookies into two groups. Dip one half of cookies in strawberry glaze, coating the top and letting excess drip off. Spread about 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam on the other half. Press a glazed cookie and a jam-coated cookie together, glaze side to jam side, forming sandwiches. Let cookies set for 15-20 minutes so the glaze firms up before serving.
Notes
- Use cold, firm butter for best dough texture.
- Don’t substitute all-purpose flour as it is essential for proper shortbread texture.
- Overworking dough after adding flour will make cookies tough.
- Chilling dough for 30 minutes is important to maintain cookie shape during baking.
- Let cookies cool completely before glazing to prevent melting and mess.
- Cookies can be stored in airtight containers for up to 1 week at room temperature.
- Freeze baked un-iced cookies up to 3 months and add glaze and jam fresh after thawing.
- Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months, thaw slightly before rolling.
Keywords: heart-shaped cookies, strawberry shortbread, strawberry jam cookies, Valentine’s Day cookies, shortbread sandwich cookies, strawberry glaze, easy cookie recipe
