Hopefully the only hearts that get broken this Valentine’s Day are these cookie hearts when you take a big bite out of them. For this holiday edition of Cooking with Beer, I’ve teamed up with Epic Brewing Company to showcase their newest brew to cans, Lil’ Brainless Raspberries. This sweet treat is easy drinking with the perfect amount of raspberry punch. This flavor profile is why it was chosen to create the raspberry filling for the lemon shortbread cookies. Not to mention the pretty in pink cans were extremely hard to resist. If you’re trying to impress your crush or you’re just really into cookies, bake a batch of these Lil’ Raspberry Cookies. If you’re really trying to win extra brownie points, get an extra sixer of Lil’ Brainless Raspberries to go along with them. Happy Valentine’s Day, lovers!

Ingredients:

Cookies:

3 sticks of unsalted butter, softened

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 lemon (to zest)

Raspberry Filling:

1 pint of raspberries

1 can of Lil Brainless Raspberries

2 tbsp No Sugar Pectin

¼ cup granulated sugar

 

Directions:

Cream together the butter and sugar. If you’re a smart baker, you would leave the butter out way ahead of time so it comes to room temperature. If you’re like me, you know a few tricks. Since I never remember to leave the butter out to soften, I usually throw it in the microwave on ‘defrost’ for 15-25 seconds. This helps it soften but doesn’t get it hot. It’s cheating, but it works.

Mix in the vanilla, salt, and zest an entire lemon into the bowl.

Slowly add in the flour, one cup at a time, mixing until a dough forms.

Use a flour-coated cutting board and press the dough into a few rectangular bricks of ½ inch thickness. If you make one big block, I don’t suggest making it super thick because rolling it out later is going to be quite the task. I know this because mine was way too thick, as you can see below. Wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and chill for 3-4 hours.

In a large pan, combine the Lil’ Brainless Raspberries and pectin. Heat on med-high in order to bring it to a boil.

While the sauce is heating up, mash the raspberries with a potato masher and add them to the pan.

Keep a close eye out so you don’t have any overflow catastrophes. When the mixture begins to boil, stir in the sugar and then remove the pan from the heat. Cool in the refrigerator until gelled.

A few hours later, get ready to use your muscles. On a well floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Use heart shaped cookie cutters to cut out cookies. If you want to cut out a tiny heart in the center, do it while the big heart cookie cutter is still in place – this helps prevent some breakage.

As you go, place the cookies on a plate and put them back in the refrigerator. They should chill for at least 20 minutes before going into the oven. You will really only need to wait on the first batch, as the other ones will be chilling while the first batch cooks.

Preheat the oven to 375 and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes, checking on them every so often. Right when the edges start to get golden, take them out. It will only take another minute or so before they get overcooked so be attentive!

When the cookies are cool, spread out the raspberry filling (which should now have the consistency of jelly) from edge to edge and top with another cookie. Don’t eat too many while you work or you won’t have any to give away.

When you’re finally finished with all your hard work, sit back with your hunny-boo-bear and enjoy as many Lil’ Raspberry Cookies as your heart desires.

 

Love cooking with beer? Check out the Cooking with Beer section or DrinkandSpoon.com for more boozy recipes.

---

Can't visit the site everyday like us? Bummer! No worries, we've got you covered. Submit your email below to receive our monthlyish newsletter on reviews, tours, events and more!

Email address:

Leave this field empty if you're human: