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Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies by Baking The Goods

Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies


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Description

These big & soft Glazed Strawberry Lemon Heart Cookies are drizzled in a vibrant, tart pink strawberry lemon glaze with a sprinkle of sparkling sugar.


Ingredients

Units

LEMON HEART COOKIES

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 medium lemon, zested & juiced
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

STRAWBERRY LEMON GLAZE

  • 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 cup freeze dried strawberries
  • 4-5 tablespoons lemon juice, reserved from lemon in cookie dough
  • 2-4 tablespoons sparkling or raw sugar

Instructions

LEMON HEART COOKIES

  1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed for about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should be light and fluffy and the sugar should be fully incorporated into the butter.
  3. Crack the eggs and vanilla into a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low, slowly add to the sugar mixture, one egg at a time. Allow each egg to blend in completely before adding the next. Mix until smooth.
  4. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on medium until a smooth consistency is achieved. The dough will be soft and sticky at this point.
  5. Gather the dough into 1 or two disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour up to overnight, the dough needs to firm up so it's easier to to roll out.
  6. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to 1/4“ thickness on floured counter top. If the dough is cracking, allow it to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften up. Use a large (3"-4") heart shaped cookie cutter to cut rolled dough into hearts. Gather and repeat with the scraps until you've used all of the dough. Place cookies close together on a lined baking sheet and chill in the the refrigerator or freezer for at least 20 minutes, until firm. Chilling the dough helps the cookies hold their shape with crisp, straight edges when baked.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 
  8. Place cookies on parchment or Silpat lined baking sheets at least 1" apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes (depending on size) until the edges start to brown slightly and they are firm to the touch. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack.

STRAWBERRY LEMON GLAZE

  1. Use a mortar and pestle to finely crush the freeze dried strawberries into a powder. Or alternatively, place them in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin. Sift into a small bowl to remove seeds. You will need about 1/4 cup of strawberry powder.
  2. Sift the powdered sugar and 1/4"-ish cup of strawberry powder together into a medium sized bowl. Add about 4 tablespoons of the fresh squeezed lemon and whisk until the glaze runs off of the whisk in a smooth ribbon. If the glaze is too thick, add remaining lemon juice or water, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it's too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar. 
  3. Once the cookies have cooled completely, dip a whisk into the glaze and wave it back and forth over the cookies to create the stripy drizzle. Sprinkle the sparkling sugar over the glazed stripes and allow to set on the cooling rack for at least 30 minutes until the glaze hardens and forms a soft, eggshell like finish.

Notes

Once you've cut the cookies, they can be stored in the freezer, when sealed tight, up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen but may require a few additional minutes of baking. 

This dough can be cut into any shape and size you want, just adjust the bake time accordingly. More time for larger, thicker cookies. Less time for smaller, thinner cookies. 

This dough is versatile and can be flavored with different extracts, citrus zests or spices. 

This recipe uses freeze dried strawberries for the glaze but feel free to adapt the color and flavors using other freeze dried fruits!