Ingredients
Raisin Heart Pockets
Celebrate the sweet spirit of the season with these heart-shaped cookies, baked until golden and filled with raisins and a tart lemon zest. One of this recipe’s secret ingredients is yogurt, which not only adds flavor, but also helps make the dough especially tender.
RECIPES
Raisin Heart Pockets
Makes about 30 cookies
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, or more to taste
Raisin Filling (recipe follows) or 1 1/2 cups lekvar (prune paste)
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Raisin Filling
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
1 2/3 cups raisins
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, yogurt, vanilla, and lemon zest, and beat to incorporate. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined.
3. Divide dough into quarters. Place each quarter between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll out dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Stack packages of dough on a baking sheet, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (or freeze for 30 minutes).
4. Preheat oven to 425°. Line baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.
5. Remove one package of dough from refrigerator. Remove top piece of parchment, and then gently pat back into place. Flip entire package over, and peel off and discard second piece of parchment. Using a 3 1/2-inch heart cutter, cut out 15 cookies, and place half of them on a prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch between cookies.
6. Place a generous tablespoon of filling in the center of each heart on the baking sheet. Spread filling, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Top with remaining hearts. Use the tines of a fork to decoratively press the pocket edges together. Reroll, and chill any remaining dough scraps. Repeat process with remaining dough and filling. If at any time dough becomes too soft to work with, return to refrigerator until chilled.
7. Bake until golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Rotate pans once after 7 minutes to ensure even baking. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Filling:
In a small saucepan, combine raisins, 1/2 cup water, sugar, flour, lemon zest, and cinnamon over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth. Refrigerate filling until cool and thickened slightly, about 1 hour.
