Sweetheart Cookies
Contributed by Susan
Source: Working Mother Magazine, February 2000

Tender lemony cookies sandwiched with sweet-tart raspberry filling make
a wonderful Valentine gift for a teacher or an elegant garnish for a
dish of ice cream. The dough is soft, so work quickly when cutting
hearts.

1 large lemon
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
Raspberry jam
Additional confectioners' sugar

>From lemon, grate 2 tsp rind and squeeze 1 Tbsp juice; set aside. In
large bowl of electric mixer on high speed, cream butter and sugar.
Reduce speed to medium; beat in egg, vanilla, lemon rind, and juice.
Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour and salt; beat until
blended. Divide dough into 2 pieces; cover each piece with plastic wrap
and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325F. On lightly floured board with floured rolling pin,
roll 1 piece of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. With 2 1/2-inch heart-shape
cookie cutter, cut out as many cookies as possible. Place 1/2 of the
cookies on ungreased baking sheets. With 1-inch heart-shape cutter, cut
out centers from remaining cookies; place large cutout cookies and small
heart centers on another ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining
dough and rerolled scraps.

Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes for large solid hearts, 10
minutes for cutouts and small hearts. Let cool on sheets for 3 minutes;
transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

When cooled, turn large solid hearts over; spread bottom side with 1/2
tsp raspberry jam. Sift additional confectioners' sugar over tops of
large cutout hearts; place on jam-topped hearts. Sift confectioners'
sugar over small hearts. Store in airtight container; place wax paper
between layers.

Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies. Per sandwich: 158 cal, 2 g
protein, 9 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 32 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium.