Serves: 2
Total Calories: 1,347

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract almond, anise or lemon extract
sugar (optional)

In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt set aside.

In a large mixer bowl at medium speed, beat butter or margarine and sugar until well blended. Beat in egg, milk and desired extract. At low speed, beat in flour mixture, scraping bowl occasionally, until mixture forms a soft dough. Cover and chill for 20 minutes or until firm enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease baking sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll about one-third of the dough at a time to 1/8 -inch thickness. Cut with heart-shaped cutters and place 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.* Sprinkle with sugar if cookies will be left undecorated. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch (cookies should be crisp after cooling for 1 minute). Cool cookies on wire racks. Decorate as desired using purchased or homemade decorating icing. Store in an airtight container.

* Many designs can be created by overlapping hearts or stacking a small heart on a large one before baking (moisten the overlapping areas with a little beaten egg to help hold together), or cut small hearts out of large ones for a picture-frame effect.

Chocolate Sweetheart Cookies: Add 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder to flour mixture. Melt 3 ounces semisweet chocolate and cool slightly. Use only 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Add melted chocolate and vanilla with egg and milk. Bake as directed above.

Nutritional Facts:

Serves: 2
Total Calories: 1,347
Calories from Fat: 615

More Recipes from the Treats From The Heart Cookbook:
Anniversary Bars
Honey-Walnut Pastries
Old Faithfuls
Sweetheart Cookies