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–+ servings
Two Love Letter Butter Cookies, envelope-shaped with heart-shaped jams and powdered sugar, sit on a white plate, accompanied by a heart-shaped chocolate.
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Butter Cookie Love Letters

These Love Letter Butter Cookies are soft, buttery cookies folded into envelope shapes and filled with sweet jam. A simple, romantic bake perfect for Valentine’s Day, gifting, or afternoon tea.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Chilling Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings: 14 cookies
Calories: 215kcal
Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • granulated sugar for sprinkling
  • strawberry jam

Instructions

  • Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla, and egg; continue to beat until combined. Gradually add the flour until just combined with no flour streaks. The dough will be on the softer side.
  • Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll the dough to ¼ - ⅛ inch thick. The dough mustn't be too thick for the best-shaped cookies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill the dough.
  • Once chilled, remove from the refrigerator and remove the parchment paper. Use a sharp knife or square pastry cutter and cut the dough into 4-inch squares (or diamond shapes). Transfer shapes to parchment lined baking sheets. With the remaining dough, cut heart shapes using a mini heart-shaped cookie cutter.
  • Rotate the cookies into a diamond shape. Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of jam into the middle of each cookie square. Fold the two sides and bottom corners into the center to form an open envelope. Press the corners into the jam to seal and top with the mini heart shape and sprinkle with sugar.
  • Chill the shaped cookies in the refrigerator as you preheat the oven to 350℉. Then, bake, one sheet at a tme, until the cookies are light and golden, about 15-17 minutes. Let cool completely before serving or storing.

Notes

  1. Soft dough: This dough is intentionally softer than a classic sugar cookie dough so it can be folded into envelope shapes. Chilling the dough for 20–30 minutes makes it easier to roll and shape.
  2. Rolling the dough: Roll the dough between sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking and to make transferring to the refrigerator simple.
  3. Shaping the cookies: I use a 4-inch square cutter for generously sized cookies, but you can easily make them smaller. Just adjust the amount of jam so it doesn’t overflow.
  4. Jam filling: A small spoonful is all you need. Too much jam can seep out during baking.
  5. Decorative seal: The heart-shaped seal is made with a mini cookie cutter, but it’s optional. These cookies are just as lovely without it.
  6. Make ahead: The dough can be prepared a day in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to use. Baked cookies freeze well for longer storage.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 49mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg