Heart Butter Cookies With Strawberry Buttercream Frosting Food

HEART BUTTER COOKIES WITH STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Cream together the butter and sugar.
• Add the egg and vanilla extract.
• Mix in the flour, salt and baking powder.
• Roll out the dough on a floured surface.
• Cut out large hearts.
• Cut a small heart into half of the large heart cookies. Leave the other half as is.
• Using a spatula carefully transfer the cookies to ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 450 degrees F for 6-8 minutes until slightly golden.
• Let cool completely.
• While the cookies cool it is time to make the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting.
• In an electric mixer beat together 1 cup of softened butter, 1 cup of strawberry jam and 2 cups of confectionary sugar until smooth.
• Once the cookies are cool spread a thin layer on one of the heart cookies without the hole.
• Place one of the cookies with a heart cut out on top.
• Repeat with the rest of the cookies.

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Beat butter at medium speed until fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and strawberries and beat until smooth.

STRAWBERRY BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• 1. Defrost strawberries in microwave or overnight in refrigerator. Place the strawberries and their juice in a colander suspended over a deep mixing bowl. With a rubber spatula, press the thawed berries to force juice into the bowl. Strain the juice if it contains pieces of strawberries.
• Pour the berry juice from the bowl into a saucepan and boil the juice until it reduces to 1/4 cup.
• Transfer the reduced berry juice to a heat-proof container.
• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree the remaining strawberries. Use a fine strainer to remove all the seeds.
• Stir the pureed strawberries, reduced berry juice, and lemon juice together. Set aside.
• Place flour in a small saucepan. Add milk, a little at a time, stirring well to remove lumps. After all the milk has been incorporated into the flour, heat the mixture until it becomes very thick, again stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Remove from heat and place plastic wrap directly on the milk/flour mixture to prevent a film from forming on its surface. Cool to room temperature.
• While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoons salt.
• Add the completely cooled milk/flour mixture and vanilla and beat until no graininess remains from the sugar.
• Mix in 1/2 cup of strawberry puree until combined, reserving remaining puree for another use.