Heart Shaped Thumbprint Cookies

Continuing on through Valentine's Day ideas: 

I saw some peanut butter and jam filled heart cookies in the latest Martha Stewart and since I hate pb cookies just decided to try out the idea in a basic thumbprint cookie.  And they turned out pretty well!!

I used Emeril Lagasse's recipe and made some alterations - alterations in italics. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup raspberry jam or jelly
• 1 tablespoon Chambord or kirsch (I just use any berry liqueur I have on hand)
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (I didn't have lemon and substituted grapefruit - worked great!)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter 2 large baking sheets.

In a small bowl, combine the jam and Chambord. Stir to combine.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt andwhisk to blend.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, lemon zest, lemonjuice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat just until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place on the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Use your floured index finger or 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon to create depressions in the center of each ball. (Instead of just doing one impression, push slightly to the side and then to the other side.  Clean fingers make a neater impression.  Make sure to avoid a low side or your jam will run out. I would add a 20min chill in the fridge here to help maintain the shape.  I didn't do it and some of them got a little flat and less heart shaped.)   

Fill each indentation with nearly 1/2 teaspoon of the jam mixture. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. (took less time)

Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!  They'd be really cute in a window box, clear bag with ribbon, wedding day favors, etc...