These fun cookies are bright and cheery and taste great. All ages will enjoy them for a Valentine’s Day treat.
Raspberry Jell-O Valentine Cookies
Makes 30-32 cookies
250 ml (1 cup) butter, room temperature
175 ml (3/4 cup) cup sugar
1 egg
5 ml (1 tsp) lemon zest, dried
1 ml (1/4 tsp) vanilla extract
2 ml (1/2 tsp) raspberry extract
40 ml (3 tbsp) raspberry Jell-O (see note if using sugar free)
550 ml (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
5 ml (1 tsp) baking powder
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
Sugar sprinkles (same colour as gelatin)
Pre-heat oven to 200°C (400°F). Cream butter and sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add egg, zest, vanilla and raspberry extracts, and 40 ml (3 tbsp) Jell-O. Beat on medium speed until the colour is mixed throughout the dough. In a small mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Add small amounts of the flour mixture to the butter mixture while beating on slow speed.
Measure dough into tablespoon-sized balls then roll the balls in the sprinkles. Place the balls on a parchment-covered cookie pan and press with a flat-bottomed glass. Put a piece of butter wrapper or parchment paper between the glass and the dough to keep them from sticking to each other. Using heart-shaped cookie cutters, cut half the flattened dough into heart shapes and leave the remaining half in rounds. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cool on rack.
Tips: Orange gelatin with orange extract and lime gelatin with lemon extract are other options for colour. Lemon gelatin is not colourful enough to show a bright yellow, so food colouring would be needed.
Note: If using sugar-free gelatin use an 85 g (3 oz) package.
This recipe was inspired by “Just Helen’s” colorful cookies: www.justhelen.net/2012/03/jell-o-cookies/
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