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Heart Cutout Cookies with Raspberry Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Heart Cookies are the perfect dessert for Valentine's Day! Thick lemon cutout cookies are baked to soft & chewy perfection, then frosted with a silky raspberry lemon cream cheese frosting. Most of the frosting color comes from freeze dried raspberries!
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine Dessert
Keyword Cookies for Valentine's Day, Valentine's Cookies, Valentine's Desserts, Cutout Cookies
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Total Time 54 minutes
Servings 18 to 24 cookies
Calories 318kcal
Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Cookies

  • 1 cup salted butter, softened at room temperature 2 sticks, 16 tbsp, or 226 grams
  • zest of 2 large lemons
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 210 grams
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 220 grams
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 617.5
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt

For the Frosting

  • 6 tbsp salted butter, softened at room temperature 85 grams
  • 2 cups + 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1-2 tbsp milk, as needed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, cold from the fridge 113 grams
  • 2-3 tbsp raspberry preserves, strained I do recommend straining as it removes the seeds.
  • One, 1.25 ounce bag freeze-dried raspberries, divided
  • red food coloring, as desired

Instructions

  • Prep: Zest your lemons. Rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar with clean hands until you have a mixture resembling wet sand. Set aside. Add the freeze dried raspberries to a food processor and pulse until you have a fine powder. Set aside.
  • Make the Cookie Dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with electric mixer until creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the lemon zested granulated sugar and the brown sugar and beat on high until well creamed, about 1 minute. The mixture will be fluffy looking. Add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice, and mix on medium high speed until just combined.
    Add the dry ingredients, and mix until just incorporated - stop when no bits of flour remain.
  • Roll Out Dough & Chill: Divide the dough in half. Roll out each section of dough between two sheets of parchment paper (don't add extra flour!). Roll to between 1/2 inch and 3/8 inch thickness. Place each of these sheets of dough, still encased in the parchment paper, on a baking sheet and pop in the fridge or freezer to chill until firm, about 30 minutes in the freezer and 1-2 hours in the fridge.
  • Cut Shapes: Cut heart shapes from the chilled dough with desired cookie cutters.
  • Bake: Preheat your oven to 350℉. Line a few baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 6 cookies of similar size on a prepared baking sheet, and keep the rest cold in the freezer until ready to bake the next pan. Bake one pan of cookies at a time (for the most even bake) for 8-11 minutes. The cookies will appear just set. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes or so before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
  • Make the Frosting: While the cookies bake & cool on a wire rack, make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and powdered sugar, using a few splashes of milk as needed to help it come together. Add the salt, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and mix. Add the cold cream cheese and mix until just combined and smooth. (Adding it cold instead of at room temperature helps keep the frosting from getting weepy.) Add the strained raspberry preserves and 1/3 of the powdered freeze dried raspberries. Mix until you have a light pink frosting. Remove 1/3 of the frosting and add to a small bowl. Add another 1/3 of the freeze dried raspberry powder and mix until just combined. Remove another 1/3 of the frosting to a second small bowl. Add a bit of red food coloring to deepen the color of the remaining frosting.
  • Frost Cookies: Use an offset spatula to spread frosting onto the completely cooled cookies. Add a sprinkle of leftover freeze dried raspberry powder to the cookies for a rustic look, or use sprinkles as desired.
  • Serve + Store: Store unfrosted cookies in airtight container at room temp for 4-5 days, and store frosted cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
  • Make-Ahead Tips:
    Cookie Dough: Once the cookie dough has been cut into shapes, you can freeze them in an airtight container, with parchment or wax paper between layers of cookies. Freeze for up to 2 months, and bake from frozen.
    Frosting: Frosting can be made a day in advance, as well, and kept in the fridge, covered tightly. Let it come to room temperature for 10-15 minutes before using and give it a mix with the mixer to help bring it back to spreadable consistency.

Notes

Yield: Note that the yield will change depending on what size cookie cutters you use. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 411IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg