Love Letter Butter Cookies: A Secret Handwritten in Dough

Ever think about how certain recipes sneak into your day without fanfare? These Love Letter Cookies are that quiet note passing through the cracks of a busy life. The smell of melted butter, a whisper of almond extract, and those tiny indents filled with jam—like tiny secrets sealed with love. I’ve been making them since I was a kid, writing letters to myself, to family, maybe even to future me. Right now, they aren’t just cookies—they’re a gentle reminder that sometimes the most meaningful things are the smallest, simplest notes you leave behind. No fancy ingredients, no complicated steps. Just a moment frozen in flour and butter. It’s funny how something so petite can carry such a rush of nostalgia. Guess I just needed a sweet way to hold onto that…

Love Letter Cookies

Love Letter Cookies are delicate, buttery cookies with a thin, crisp texture. They are traditionally shaped into rectangular forms with small indentations filled with jam, creating a visually appealing and crisp treat that melts in the mouth. The recipe involves rolling out dough, shaping, and filling the indentations before baking until golden.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 24

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Calories: 150

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup jam preferably fruit-flavored

Equipment

• Rolling pin
• Baking sheet

Method

 

1. Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar in a mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, and visibly increased in volume.
2. Add the egg and almond extract to the creamed mixture, and beat until fully combined, about 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth with a glossy appearance.
3. Gradually add the flour and salt to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until the dough begins to come together. Then, knead briefly by hand if needed until a cohesive dough forms.
4. Divide the dough into two equal portions, wrap each in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to firm up.
5. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove one dough portion from the refrigerator and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into rectangular shapes or use a cookie cutter as desired.
6. Use a small tool or the back of a piping tip to make tiny indentations in the center of each cookie rectangle. Fill these indentations with a small amount of jam, about ½ teaspoon each, creating a filled appearance.
7. Arrange the filled cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and crisp.
8. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies should be crisp, thin, and slightly delicate.

When I start eating these, I realize it’s not the cookie I crave. It’s the act of writing that makes them special. Like a little love letter you get to taste. Sometimes, just crumb-sized reminders of what matters. That’s all these are really.