Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups All-Purpose (Plain) Flour, plus extra for dusting
  • ½ cup Confectioners' (Icing) Sugar, sifted
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, chilled and cubed
  • 1 large Egg Yolk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (pure)
  • ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 4 oz Cream Cheese, full fat, softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup Confectioners' (Icing) Sugar, sifted (for filling)
  • 3 oz White Chocolate, high quality, melted
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)
  • ½ cup High-Quality Raspberry Preserve or Jam
  • Confectioners' (Icing) Sugar, for dusting (as needed)

Instructions:

  1. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the chilled, cubed butter and the sifted icing sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.
  2. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt until just combined.
  3. Incorporate Flour: Gradually add the flour, mixing on low speed only until the dough just comes together into a shaggy mass. Do not overmix.
  4. Chill: Form the dough into two flat discs, wrap tightly in cling film, and refrigerate for a minimum of 60 minutes.
  5. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
  6. Roll the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of chilled dough to approximately ⅛-inch (3 mm) thickness.
  7. Cut the Bases: Use the large heart cutter to cut out 18 solid biscuits. These will form the base layer. Place them onto the prepared baking sheets.
  8. Cut the Tops (The Linzer Window): Cut the remaining 18 hearts using the large cutter. Then, using the smaller heart cutter, cut a small window out of the centre of each of these 18 pieces. Gather and reroll scraps as needed, chilling if the dough becomes sticky.
  9. Bake: Bake the biscuits for 12–15 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. The edges should be pale golden, but the centres should remain light.
  10. Cool: Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack immediately and allow them to cool completely (about 30 minutes).
  11. Melt Chocolate: Gently melt the white chocolate using a microwave or double boiler. Set aside to cool slightly.
  12. Whip Cream Cheese: In a clean bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese, icing sugar, and lemon juice until completely smooth and lump-free.
  13. Combine Filling: Slowly drizzle the slightly cooled, melted white chocolate into the cream cheese mixture while beating until the filling is uniform, thick, and creamy.
  14. Dust the Tops: Lightly dust the “window” top biscuits generously with sifted confectioners' sugar.
  15. Jam the Bases: Take the solid base biscuits. Spread a thin layer (about 1 teaspoon) of raspberry preserve on each.
  16. Pipe the Filling: Transfer the white chocolate cream cheese mixture into a piping bag or use a small spoon. Pipe a neat dollop of filling around the edge of the jam layer on the biscuit bases.
  17. Sandwich: Gently place the sugar-dusted heart tops over the filled bases, pressing lightly to secure. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.