Viennese Lemon Valentines Cookies

5 from 2 votes

Viennese Lemon Valentines Cookies

These Viennese Lemon Valentines Cookies are a European cookie that are a cinch to make using the food processor. They are a delightfully chewy cookie equally fantastic plain or glazed.

Prep Time30

Cook Time9

Glazing20

Total Time59

Course: Cookies

Cuisine: American

Keyword: European Cookies, Valetines Cookies, Cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 68kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

2" heart shaped cookie cutter
Food Processor

Ingredients

Heart Shaped Cookie Ingredients

1 large lemon
6 ounces almond flour (170 grams)
¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
3 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon almond extract

Glaze Ingredients

1 ½ cups powdered sugar (200 grams)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
red gel food coloring

Instructions

Heart Shaped Cookies

For a detailed tutorial on how to make rolling cookies between waxed paper and why I prefer the paper as well as glazing the cookies, please see my posts Cut Out Cookies Using the Waxed Paper Technique and Painted Cookies.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Zest the lemon using a microplaner for best results. Set aside.
Place the almond flour in the processor and pulse several times to make sure there are no lumps.
Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Process briefly to mix.
Add the egg yolks and almond extract. Process until thoroughly mixed. The dough will not ball up.
Remove it from the processor and shape it into a flat round.
Place it between two large pieces of waxed paper. Indent the dough several times with a rolling pin to make it easier to roll out,. Roll out about ¼" thick. Turn the waxed paper with the dough over several times to straighten the paper if it wrinkled. Cut the cookies out and place them on parchment lined baking sheets. Re-roll the scraps as necessary.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes just until barely browned on the edges. Cool completely before glazing.

Glazing the Cookies

Sift the powdered sugar to remove any lumps. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Stir somewhat gently to reduce the air bubbles. Divide the mixture in half.
Add the food coloring around the edges of the bowl and in the middle. Swirl the food coloring around until it looks marbelized. See the photos.
Hold a cookie by the edges and dip the top only into the glaze. Hold it above the bowl and let the most of the excess drip back into the bowl. Place on parchment paper to dry. Move around the bowl from time to time for the most interesting finishes.
When the bowl of glaze you are using becomes one color or the swirling is no longer evident, repeat with the second bowl of glaze.
Dry the cookies until the glaze is completely set. This can take several or more hours. Do not rush it.
When the glaze is dry and set, they can be stored in an airtight container almost indefinitely.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

_________________________________________________

Roll the cookies between waxed paper. See my post on Cut Out Cookies Using the Waxed Paper Technique and Painted Cookies for more in depth information.

This dough is rather sticky and that is how it should be. Do not add extra almond flour. Reroll the scraps as necessary.

I used a 2” heart cutter for the cookies.

The cookies should not be over baked or they will be hard. Still good but better a bit softer. If glazing them, the glaze will soften them if they have been over baked.

Storing these for a couple of days makes them even better.

Nutrition