With Valentine’s being tomorrow, this week’s cookie challenge had to be heart-shaped. These golden cookies hold their shape perfectly with a crisp outside and a soft centre.
They look lovely stacked up and wrapped in foil with a coloured ribbon and make a lovely gift for someone with a sweet tooth. I have coloured molten white chocolate in a light pink and drizzled over the cookies – after all, it is Valentine’s.
I am using golden syrup because it is better for baking than honey – the cookies would spread and wouldn’t keep their shape.
If you are adventurous, you could decorate the cookies with royal icing – a talent I still have to practice, hence the chocolate. You could pipe lovely message on each to personalise them for the recipient.
Enjoy the cookies
Golden Hearts
- 115g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 115g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 115g golden syrup
- 400g self-raising flour
- 60g white chocolate (optional to drizzle over the baked cookies)
- red or pink food colouring
Place the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat together until fluffy and light in colour.
Beat in the egg and golden syrup. Add the flour and bring together with a wooden spoon – it will look a bit crumbly. Turn the mix out onto a clean surface and bring it together with your hands until you get a smooth dough. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Place baking paper on baking trays and set aside.
Roll out the dough to a thickness of 3mm and cut out hearts (or any shape you like) – these cookies are best when they are a bit bigger so don’t go skimpy on the cutters. Place on the baking tray and bake for 10 – 12 minutes until the edges starting to turn golden brown.
Leave for a few minutes to harden on the tray before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Continue with the rest of the dough.
