Heart of Hearts

The recipe for these delicious salt free cookies comes from The No-Salt, Lowest -Sodium Baking Book by Don Gazzaniga. Perfect for this time of year, they make excellent Valentine’s treats for your sweeties.

Yields 50 heart-shaped 2-inch cookies.



SODIUM CONTENT: 2.3 mg per cookie

INGREDIENTS

DOUGH:
10 1/2 T. (1/3 lb.) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 egg
2 t. Featherweight sodium-free baking powder (available at Whole Foods markets and online at healthyheartmarket.com)
1 3/4 t. vanilla extract
2 1/3 c. all-purpose flour

ICING:
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 drop red food coloring
1-2 T. skim milk

DIRECTIONS

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar. Add the egg and mix until smooth. Add the baking powder and vanilla and stir to combine. Gradually add in the flour, a little at a time, stirring until combined.

Divide dough into two equal portions. Place each half on a separate sheet of waxed paper and roll out to 1/4-inch thick. Place each onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove one of the dough sheets from fridge. Slide the waxed paper with dough off onto the counter. Lightly grease the (now empty) cookie sheet, then place the dough onto the cookie sheet and gently remove the waxed paper backing. Cut the dough into heart-shaped cookies using your cutter, making sure to leave a little space between cookies (they do puff a bit and will stick together otherwise). Carefully remove excess dough, roll into a ball and set aside. Place baking sheet on the middle rack in oven and bake 6-10 minutes. Remove from oven. Gently remove cookies from baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool fully. Repeat process with remaining dough and 2nd dough sheet.

While cookies are cooling, prepare the icing. Measure the powdered sugar into a small mixing bowl. Add the food coloring and 1 T. milk and stir to combine. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more milk, a drop at a time, stirring to combine. Once cookies have cooled, gently brush with frosting and sprinkle with jimmies if desired. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

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