Cherry Shortbread Hearts Recipe

No Valentine’s dinner would be complete without a delicious dessert, and this indulgent sweet treat is sure to impress! These easy biscuits taste as good as they look and would also make an ideal Valentine's Day gift.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Makes: 14-16, depending on cutter

Ingredients:
100g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
200g plain flour
50g cornflour
50g ground almonds
250g pack cold butter, cut into cubes
50g glacé cherries, finely chopped
½ tsp almond extract
8 tbsp cherry jam, sieved

Method:

1. Heat oven to 180C.
2. Sift the icing sugar, flour and cornflour together into a bowl. Stir in the ground almonds and butter, then rub in the butter until smooth. Stir in the chopped glacé cherries and almond extract, and bring together to form a dough.
3. Roll out on a lightly floured surface, then stamp out biscuits using a heartshaped cutter. Keep re-rolling the trimmings until all the dough is used. Carefully transfer the biscuits to baking trays lined with parchment and bake for just 8-10 mins until just pale golden.
4. Using an upturned bottle top or similar, press gently into the centre of each biscuit to make a round indent. Spoon in a little jam and return to the oven for 2 mins. Remove and cool on a wire rack, before dusting with icing sugar to serve.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, February 2011.