Love Letter Cookies
These Love Letter Cookies are a sweet way to give your loved ones a love letter. These old-fashioned cookies are flaky, buttery, full of citrus flavor, and scrumptious, and they are very easy to make. If you are looking for a new treat to make this year for Valentine's, this is one to consider.
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- zester
- measuring cups
- spoons
- mixer
- large mixing bowl
- whisk
- pastry cutter/blender
- spatula
- Rolling Pin
- pastry wheel/small pairing knife
- pattern
- small heart-shaped cookie cutter
- grater
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour scooped with a spoon and leveled with a knife
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 orange zested
- 1 cup unsalted butter frozen and grated (also 2 sticks of butter)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- turbinado sugar optional
- sprinkles optional
- royal icing optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the flour, sugar, and salt and whisk together.
- Next, zest in your lemon and orange. Then grate in your frozen butter.
- Using your hands or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until you get a nice and crumbly consistency. Then with a spatula stir in your sour cream and vanilla.
- Using a dough hook on your mixer or a wooden spoon, mix the dough together until everything is mixed together, and it forms a ball around the hook.
- Lightly flour your work area. Divide the dough in half. Place one half on the prepared surface and put the bowl with the other half into the fridge so it stays cold.
- Roll the dough to roughly 1/8" thickness. Then cut out a 3" x 2" rectangle for the letter. You can use a small paring knife or a pastry wheel.
- Then cut out a small heart for each love letter cookie you make. Using your pastry wheel, make the lines in the cookie to resemble an envelope.
- Place the cookies on the cookie sheet and top them with either the white granulated sugar or the turbinado sugar. Then bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the sides and bottom are lightly browned.
- Once the cookies are done, remove them from the oven. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes.
- When they have cooled, decorate the small hearts however you choose and attach them with a dollop of frosting or icing to the cookie.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Keep sticks of frozen butter in your freezer. Grating the frozen butter into your recipes makes a world of difference.
- The original recipe called for an oven temp of 475. That bakes really hot, and you have to watch your cookies like crazy. I lowered it to 375 and even though it took a bit longer, they didn't burn as easily on the bottom.
- Make sure to use the scoop with a spoon and level with a knife method when measuring out your flour.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g
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