Valentine's Day
Inspiration Martha Stewart...
Cream Cookie Sandwich Hearts
Ingredients
Makes 36 cookie sandwiches
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/3 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Pinch of salt
* 1 1/4 cups pink sanding sugar, for rolling
* 3/4 cup red-currant jelly
Directions
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix flour, butter, cream, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Flatten dough into 2 equal discs, and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, 2 to 3 hours.
2. Arrange rack in middle of oven. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper.
3. On a well-sugared surface, roll out dough, one half at a time, to a 1/8-inch thickness, continuously sprinkling sugar over the dough while rolling. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out 72 heart shapes. Place 24 cookies on each baking sheet. Chill all cookies until firm, about 10 minutes.
4. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
5. In a small bowl, stir jelly until smooth. Place jelly in a small pastry bag fitted with a No. 11 plain round tip, and pipe 1/2 teaspoon per cookie on half of the cookies. Place remaining cookies on top to form sandwiches.