Slice n' Bake Valentine Heart Cookies

                               

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter, cold & cut into chunks
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid red food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl stir flour and baking powder together. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar together. Stir in egg, extracts and vanilla. Slowly incorporate dry ingredients. Once dough has come together, remove 2/3 of it to a separate bowl. Stir in the red food coloring to the remaining 1/3 of the dough until uniform in color.

Roll red dough out into a 1 inch slab. Cut out heart shapes and stack them together.

Roll remaining regular colored dough out and cover each row of stacked hearts being careful to keep them together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour to overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and set aside. Remove cookie dough logs from fridge and slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Place onto prepared baking sheet leaving 1 inch around each cookie. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookie is barely golden brown on the bottom and isn't shiny. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes before cooling completely on wire rack.

Serve immediately or store in airtight containers for up to 3 days.

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