Raspberry Shortbread Hearts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar on medium speed until they are just combined (don’t whip the butter!). Stir in the vanilla.  In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then slowly add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. If the dough doesn’t come together, add a tablespoon or two of warm water. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough ¼-inch thick, cut out hearts with a large heart-shaped cutter, and place them on sheet pans lined with parchment paper. With a smaller heart-shaped cutter, make a heart-shaped cut-out in the middle of only half of the cookies. Refrigerate the cookies for 15 minutes.

Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the top of each solid cookie. Lightly dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners’ sugar and then press the bottom (the flat side) of the cut-out cookies on the raspberry filling, pressing the two cookies together. The raspberry preserves will be in the middle and the confectioners’ sugar will be on top. Serve at room temperature.