Cherry Shortbread Hearts

James Martin's easy biscuits taste as good as they look and make an ideal Valentine's Day gift

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 15 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Makes 14-16, depending on cutter

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  242

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  27g

• Fat

  15g

• Saturates

  8g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  14g

• Salt

  0.21g

Ingredients

• 100g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
• 200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 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

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

Categories: All Christmas, Cakes & Baking