Sparkle Sweetheart Cookies Recipes

PEANUT BUTTER SWEETHEARTS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on high speed until creamy. On medium-high speed, beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar until completely creamed and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the peanut butter and vanilla extract, then beat on high until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator (and up to 3 days). If chilling for longer than a few hours, though, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard and the cookies may not spread much.
• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
• Scoop and roll cookie dough, about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough each. Roll each ball in the additional granulated sugar (optional) and arrange on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the tops begin to slightly crack. Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Press a chocolate heart into each cookie and allow to cool completely.

SWEETHEART COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolk; mix well. Stir in the flour by hand. On a lightly floured surface, gently knead dough for 2-3 minutes or until thoroughly combined. , Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indention in the center of each. Fill each with 1/4 teaspoon preserves. , Bake for 13-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Dust warm cookies with confectioners' sugar if desired. Cool.

SPARKLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Stir cookie mix, butter and egg in medium bowl until dough forms. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in colored sugars. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 11 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet. Store in airtight container.

PINK HEART SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture, beating until just incorporated. Remove from the mixer and and knead until a dough forms.
• Divide dough into 3 or 4 pieces, depending on how many shades of pink you would like the cookies to be. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, mixing and kneading to combine, until desired shade is reached; the more food coloring you add, the darker the color will be. Flatten each piece of colored dough into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight. Bring to room temperature, about 10 minutes, before rolling.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees with racks in top and lower thirds. Roll out each disk of dough between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment to just under 1/4 inch thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Cut out 1-, 1 1/2-, and 2-inch heart shapes, making sure you have even numbers in each color and size for a total of thirty-six 1-inch, thirty-six 1 1/2-inch, and thirty 2-inch cookies, rerolling scraps once. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, and freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake until barely golden brown around edges, about 8 minutes for 1-inch cookies, 10 minutes for 1 1/2-inch cookies, and 12 minutes for 2-inch cookies, rotating halfway through. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets set on wire racks. Spread or pipe (using a pastry bag and a small plain tip) filling onto bottom side of half the cookies, and sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.