Fresh Fruits Recipes - February Hearts Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups/330 g all purpose/plain flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 3/4 cup/180 g butter, softened

• 1/2 cup/100 g granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup/100 g firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract/essence

• . Grated zest of 1 lemon

CRANBERRY TOPPING:

• 1 cup/250 g fresh or frozen cranberries

• 1/4 cup/50 g granulated sugar

• 3/4 cup/210 g raspberry preserves

• 3/4 cup/125 g confectioners'/icing sugar, to dust

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Method:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt into a medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter and granulated and brown sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, and lemon zest, beating until just blended.

3. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a smooth dough. Press the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/ gas 4. Butter two cookie sheets. Roll out one third of the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch (5 mm).

5. Use a 3 1/2-inch (9­cm) heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Gather the dough scraps, re-roll, and continue cutting out cookies until all the dough is used.

6. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, placing them 1/2 inch (1 cm) apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until just golden. Transfer to racks to cool.

7. Cranberry Topping: Process the cranberries, granulated sugar, and preserves in a food processor or blender until pureed.

8. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, or until reduced to 1 cup (250 ml). Remove from the heat and let cool for 15 minutes.

9. Use a thin metal spatula to spread the topping over the tops of the cookies. Dust with the confectioners' sugar just before serving.