German Heart Cookies

These adorable heart-shaped cookies from Germany are called Herrnhuter Herzen; they are decorated with half white and half pink icing.

• Preparation Time: 45 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 55 mins
• Calories: 105 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more as needed
• 1 tablespoon raspberry syrup, or more as needed
• 3.25 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Combine flour, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, white sugar, and eggs in a large bowl and knead into a smooth dough. Shape into a ball. Flatten, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Step 3

Dust a work surface with flour and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out hearts with a heart-shaped cookie cutter and arrange cut-out cookies on prepared baking sheets.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from baking sheets carefully and transfer to wire racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Step 5

Mix 1 cup of confectioners' sugar with as much lemon juice needed to form a thick icing. Cover half of the hearts with the white icing. Mix the remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar with raspberry syrup and cover the other half with pink icing. Let cookies stand until icing dries completely, about 2 hours, or up to overnight.