Jam Heart Butter Cookies are a charming and delicious treat: tender, crisp butter cookies with a little heart pressed into the center and filled with raspberry or strawberry jam. They make a perfect Valentine’s Day cookie and this recipe yields 24 cookies.
How Cute Are These Cookies?
This recipe uses a one‑bowl butter cookie dough made from familiar pantry ingredients: unsalted butter, granulated sugar, egg yolks, vanilla and almond extract, and all‑purpose flour. The dough comes together quickly and does not require chilling, so you can roll and bake soon after mixing. To form the heart centers I press the rounded end of a teaspoon into each cookie and smooth the edges with clean fingers, then pipe a small amount of jam into each indentation before baking.
The finished cookies are buttery and crisp with jewel‑like jam hearts in the middle. They’re not overly sweet on their own, so the jam adds the perfect sweet burst.
These are ideal for Valentine’s Day or any time you want a pretty, simple cookie.
To Make These Jam Heart Butter Cookies You Will Need:
- unsalted butter (room temperature) – adds richness and tenderness to the cookies.
- granulated sugar – contributes sweetness and crisp edges.
- fine salt – balances flavor (sea salt or Himalayan are fine).
- egg yolks – give a richer flavor and slightly chewier texture.
- vanilla extract – enhances the overall flavor.
- almond extract – adds a sweet, fruity note.
- unbleached all‑purpose flour – provides structure for the dough.
- seedless raspberry jam – or substitute seedless strawberry jam.
Preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Line a rimmed metal baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. In a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add 1 cup unsalted butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt.
Cream the butter, sugar and salt over low to medium‑low speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add 2 egg yolks, 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and mix until incorporated.
Gradually add 2 1/4 cups unbleached all‑purpose flour, mixing until the dough comes together.
Shape the dough into a disc with your hands.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4‑inch (6 mm) thickness.
Use a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter to stamp out 12 cookies from the rolled dough. Reuse scraps to roll and cut the remaining cookies.
Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and press a heart indentation into the center of each cookie with the rounded end of a spoon or the back of a small measuring spoon.
Place about 6 ounces of seedless jam into a small piping bag or a resealable plastic bag with a tiny corner snipped off. Pipe a small amount of jam into each heart indentation—be careful not to overfill.
Bake on the middle rack for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking. There’s no need to chill the dough first.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies rest on the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining dough to make the final 12 cookies.
Serve these cookies with cold milk, or a warm cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all‑purpose flour
- 6 ounces raspberry jam, or strawberry
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper
- Biscuit or round cookie cutter
- Small piping bag or resealable plastic bag
- Wire cooling rack
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar and salt on low to medium‑low speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg yolks, vanilla and almond extract and mix until incorporated. Gradually add the flour and mix until a cohesive dough forms.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4‑inch thickness. Cut out 12 cookies, reroll scraps to cut the remaining 12 cookies.
- Place the cut cookies on the prepared pan and press a heart indentation into the center of each using the rounded end of a spoon.
- Fill a small piping bag or resealable bag with jam, snip a tiny corner, and pipe a small amount of jam into each heart without overfilling.
- Bake on the middle rack for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition disclaimer: All information is provided for general informational purposes. This is not professional nutrition advice.
This recipe was originally posted on January 28th, 2022 and has been updated with clearer instructions and new photography.
