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"Con Amor" Pink Butter Cookies Filled With Dulce De Leche

I am always saying how baking is not my favorite thing, but I find myself wanting to do it more and more. It's not the same as cooking a savory dish, where some nights you can just throw a few ingredients together and create a meal. Baking is not something you rush through. For this cookie I used my "Mexican Polvorones" recipe, and with a few adjustments a Valentine's cookie was born. And I am never without a can or two of dulce de leche for when the mood strikes! Feliz Dia Del Amor y Amistad... Happy Valentine's Day!

Corazones Con Dulce De Leche

Makes about 12 to 14 sandwiched cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon apple pie spice
½ teaspoon salt
2¼ cups of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar in the raw or turbinado sugar, set aside
Red food coloring
1½ cups dulce de leche

Over the years I have purchased assorted cookie cutters here and there...hearts are a must for every kitchen!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking soda, apple pie spice and salt. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the remaining flour. If dough is crumbly, gently knead the dough with your hands.

2. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring and work into dough with your hands until desired color of pink. Divide the dough in half.

3. On a flat, floured surface, roll out half of dough to about 1/3 inch thickness. Using a small heart shaped cookie cutter cut out as many hearts as you can. Make sure you use enough flour and that you don't roll the dough out too thin. Will make it easier for cutting out cookies. Transfer the cut outs to a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Repeat with second dough ball.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely. Fill a pastry bag with 1½ cups of dulce de leche and pipe about 1½ tablespoons of dulce de leche onto flat (back) side of the cookies. Stack the other cookie on top to make a sandwich. Makes about 12 to 14 sandwiched cookies.

Note: If you do not have a pastry bag, use a plastic storage bag and just cup the tip with scissors to pipe onto cookie. You could make larger cookies and simply dust them with powdered sugar. The cookie cutter I used for the sandwiched cookies is about 1½ to 2 inches across.