Sugar Cookie Recipes - Chocolate Dipped Sugar Heart Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups/450 g all-purpose/plain flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 cup/250 g butter, softened

• 1 cup/250 g granulated sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence

• 1/4 tsp almond extract/essence

• 4 tbsp half-and-half

• 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk

• 6 oz/180 g semisweet/dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

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Method:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until creamy.

2. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and half-and-half. Add the egg and egg yolk, beating until just blended. Mix in the dry ingredients to form a soft dough.

3. Divide the dough in half. Press the dough into disks, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4. Line three cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out one of the disks of dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch (5 mm).

5. Use a 2 1/2-inch (6-cm) heart 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 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Repeat with the remaining dough.

7. Bake, one sheet at a time, for 12-15 minutes, or until just golden. Transfer to racks and let cool completely.

8. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Dip the hearts halfway into the chocolate and let stand for 30 minutes until set.