Shortbread Jam Cookies

I love Valentines Day because it's just another excuse to create cute & girly tools in the kitchen. 
Like these easy and delicious heart shortbreads. 
This recipe has been around forever. Shortbread dough is pretty simple to make and the possibilities are endless for fillings. 

- 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 4 cups flour (I use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose)
- 2 tsp baking powder 
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 cup fat free milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Raspberry Jam or other filling
- Powdered Sugar (optional)


1. Beat butter with electric mixer 
2. Slowly add in sugars and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing in between
3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, & salt. Add to butter mixture, a little at a time, alternating with milk. Add vanilla extract and mix
4. Divide dough into 2 separate disks. Refrigerate for 1 hour


5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Roll out dough on floured surface until about 1/8 inch thick. 
Use a heart shaped cookie cutter and cut out shapes from dough. 
Use a smaller heart cookie cutter and cut out centers from half of the larger hearts. (I also baked the tiny hearts that we cut out of the centers and my girls enjoyed those for snacks)
6. Bake 10 minutes or until just before golden brown. Serving size and baking time depends on how large or small your cutters are. 
7. Allow to cool. Sprinkle tops of cookies with powdered sugar if desired and spread 1 tsp of jam or other filling on bottom of cookie and place other half on top.


Other fillings that would be good:
- Fruit Preserves
- Any kind of jam/jelly
- Nutella
- Fluff (or strawberry fluff for Valentines Day)