Back-to-school kissing hand sugar cookies

As a Kindergarten teacher, one of my favorite books for the first day of school is The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn. It’s a sweet story about Chester, a nervous raccoon, who is very worried about his first night at school. I read this book to each of my own children before their first day of school to remind them that even though I’m not there, I will always love them.

We make sugar cookies at our house for just about every occasion, and back-to-school is no exception. Baking Chester’s hands-and-hearts cookies together before the big day is a fun way to make memories and a tasty treat for a first day of school lunch. In the story, Chester’s mom kisses the center of his hand, rolls it up, and tells him that her love will be with him all day. These cookies are shaped like hands with a cute little jam heart in the center.

Ingredients

• 6 cups flour
• 4-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp softened butter
• 1 cup shortening
• 2-1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp vanilla
• Frosting
• Jam

Sugar cookie recipe

1. In a large bowl, beat shortening, butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat until combined.
3. Add half of the dry ingredients and mix. Add the rest of the dry ingredients.
4. Chill the dough for 4 hours.
5. Roll the dough to 1/8-in. thick, cut using a hand-shaped cookie cutter. 
6. Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut a small heart out of the center of half of the the hands. This will be the top of your cookie.
7. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 7 minutes and cool.

Assembling the cookie sandwich

1. Place one hand on the bottom and add a layer of frosting.
2. Top with the hand with the heart.
3. Spoon jam into the heart.