Linzer Valentine Hearts

These not only look beautiful, they taste wonderful as well. They are like a sandwich cookie with jam in the middle, but the top layer has a smaller heart-shaped cutout to reveal the red jam centre. These are SO worth the effort. You will need two heart shaped cookie cutters (one 3" and one 1.5" for the centre cutout). Wilton sells a set of cutters with one 3" heart and a second 3" heart with the cutout built in, saving you a step.) Prep time includes chilling time.

• Ready In: 6 hrs 12 mins
• Yields: 2-3 dozen (depending on size)

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 lb butter, softened
• 1 3⁄4 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
• 1  egg
• 2  cups flour, sifted
• 1  cup cornstarch
• 2  cups  shelled walnuts, finely grated
• 1⁄2 cup  raspberry preserves

Directions

1. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy.
2. Add egg and beat well.
3. Sift together flour and cornstarch and add to butter mixture.
4. Stir in walnuts.
5. Mix well.
6. Place dough in a ball in wax paper and chill for roughly 5 hours.
7. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4" thickness.
8. Using cookie cutters, cut out equal numbers of solid hearts and hearts with centre cut out.
9. (You can either re-roll the cut out centres to make more of the larger hearts or bake them all for little bite-size cookies.) Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
10. Chill for 30 minutes.
11. Bake at 325 for 10- 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
12. Place on rack to cool.
13. While still slightly warm, spread the bottom side of the full hearts with jam- about 1/4 tsp each.
14. Top with heart that has centre cut out.
15. Bottoms should be together, tops facing out for a smoother look.
16. (For mini hearts, spread jam on bottom of one heart and top with a second of same size- bottoms together) Sift 1/2 cup of the remaining sugar and press bottoms of cookies in sugar to coat.
17. Gently sift the remaining 1/4 cup sugar over tops of cookies.