Description
Delight in these Raspberry and White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, featuring buttery, tender shortbread cut into charming heart shapes. The cookies are sandwiched with sweet raspberry jam and a smooth layer of melted white chocolate for a perfect combination of flavors and textures. Ideal for special occasions or everyday indulgence, these cookies are as visually appealing as they are delicious.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Cookies
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ½ cup confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For Assembling
- ⅓ cup white chocolate (optional)
- 1–2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- ⅓ cup raspberry jam (or strawberry jam)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and confectioner’s sugar using a hand mixer or stand mixer until soft and fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Add vanilla extract and salt, mixing until fully incorporated. Gradually add the all-purpose flour and mix until the dough forms a cohesive mass.
- Chill the Dough: Use your hands to form the dough into a ball and then shape it into a flat disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a half-sheet baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Lightly dust a clean surface with flour, then roll out chilled dough to ¼-inch thickness. Using a large heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies. For half of the cookies, use a smaller heart-shaped cutter to cut out centers to create a ‘window’. Save the smaller cutouts to bake separately or re-roll the scraps to cut more cookies.
- Chill Cookies Before Baking: Arrange cookies about half an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Place them back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes while the oven preheats.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown lightly. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- Melt White Chocolate: Melt the white chocolate by either placing it in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water on low heat, stirring constantly until smooth, or microwaving in 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals until completely melted and smooth.
- Dust and Assemble: Using a mesh strainer, dust confectioners’ sugar over the cookies with cut-out centers. Spread a thin layer of melted white chocolate on the bottom halves of the whole cookies, leaving a small ⅛-inch border. Allow the chocolate to set slightly for 5-10 minutes.
- Add Jam: Spoon or pipe about one teaspoon of raspberry jam onto the chocolate layer on each cookie once it has set slightly.
- Sandwich Cookies: Carefully place the sugar-dusted cut-out top cookies onto the jam-covered bottoms, aligning them gently to avoid smudging. If desired, fill the open centers with additional jam for extra flavor and a pretty presentation.
Notes
- Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to one week.
- To freeze unassembled shortbread cookies, arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container, adding parchment paper between layers. Assemble after thawing to preserve the confectioners’ sugar dusting.
- For melting chocolate, be patient and stir frequently to avoid burning or seizing.
- Use raspberry jam for a bright tartness or substitute with strawberry jam according to preference.
- Handle cookies gently when assembling to keep their delicate shapes intact.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
