Apple Heart Cookies are incredibly crisp pastries filled with pieces of apple sautéed with sugar and cinnamon. A sweet treat for any time of the day.
I’m very attached to this recipe, as it was my very first publication on the blog many years ago!
A quick and economical recipe that I’m sure you’ll really enjoy; partly because they remind you of the famous cookies from a well-known brand, and partly because making them at home brings unique satisfaction.
In this recipe, I’ll also show you how easy it is to make shortcrust pastry by hand, in a simple bowl, without using a mixer.
So, no excuses! Prepare the ingredients and bake your own Apple Heart Cookies!
READ THE TIPS AND NOTES AT THE END OF THE RECIPE.
OTHER INTERESTING RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 20 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring, All Seasons
- Energy 200.19 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 28.75 (g) of which sugars 13.95 (g)
- Proteins 3.28 (g)
- Fat 8.65 (g) of which saturated 5.41 (g)of which unsaturated 3.12 (g)
- Fibers 0.77 (g)
- Sodium 38.41 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 23 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
Apple Heart Cookies
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter (Soft)
- 2 eggs
- to taste lemon zest (Grated)
- to taste salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups apples
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- to taste ground cinnamon
- powdered sugar (for decoration)
Preparation of Apple Heart Cookies
– Place the soft butter with the sugar in a large bowl and mix with a fork. Add the eggs, first slightly beaten together, and mix.
– Pour in the sifted flour, baking powder, and lemon zest. Compact the dough and then finish working for a few seconds on the work surface. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, even better if done the day before. If you want to make the shortcrust pastry with a mixer, read here.
– Wash, clean, and first cut an apple into wedges and then into small pieces. Pour the apple cubes into a pan along with butter, sugar, and cinnamon and cook for about 15 minutes or until the liquid released during cooking has evaporated. Let cool.
– Roll out the shortcrust pastry on the lightly floured work surface and cut out disks. Flatten them slightly and fill them with the apple mixture. Put another pastry disc on top, seal with your fingertips, and if you have a cookie cutter, use it to ensure a perfect closure and uniform cookies.
– Bake on parchment paper or a perforated mat for 15 minutes at 356°F (static or fan-assisted; the edges should slightly brown).
Storage:
Apple Heart Cookies can be stored under a glass dome or in a tin jar for 4 or 5 days.
Notes:
– The times indicated in the recipe do not include the rest time for the shortcrust pastry.
– For better results, I recommend placing the tray in the fridge while the oven preheats.
