Stained Glass Heart Cookies

How to Make Stained Glass Heart Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a cookie sheet with either parchment paper or a non-stick silicone baking mat. 
2. Sift together flour, baking soda, and cream of tarter into a large mixing bowl.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Then add egg and 1 tsp of vanilla, continuing to beat until creamy.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients, one cup at a time. Mix until well incorporated, but take care not to over-beat.
5. Lightly flour a cutting board, then knead the dough by hand until smooth.
6. Roll dough out to 1 inch thick
7. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out approximately 2 dozen cookies.
8. Using a mini heart cookie cutter to cut out a heart  from the middle of 12 of the cookies, leaving the other 12 cookies whole.
9. Bake cookies for 15 minutes at 350°F.
10. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

To make the icing:

1. Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl.
2. Using a hand or stand mixer, mix on medium speed until well combined and stiff peaks form. (About 5-7 minutes).
3. Scoop about 1/2 cup icing into a piping bag.
4. Add 1-2 tbsp of water into the remaining icing and mix until smooth. Pour this thinned icing into a plastic squeeze bottle.

To decorate:

1. Using the piping bag, outline all the cookies that have a cutout heart in the middle. Outline both the edge of the cookie and the cutout. Then fill in the outlines with the thinned icing in the squeeze bottle. Allow to set until the icing is still wet, but not dripping.
2. Pour pink sugar sprinkles onto a small plate.
3. Carefully dip the icing part of the cookie into the sprinkles, then place back onto the cookie sheet.
4. Repeat steps with remaining cookies, once all have been icing and dipped in the sprinkles set aside for an hour for the icing to harden.
5. Using the solid cookies, scoop about 1 tbsp of jelly into the middle and spread with a butter knife.
6. Place the heart cookie coated in sprinkles on top of the heart with the jelly and slightly push down so that the hearts will stick together.
7. Let cookies sit for 5-10 minutes before enjoying!