Nutella and Pistachio filled Heart Cookies

Place sugar and cubed room temperature butter in the bowl of your food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add egg, baking powder, salt and vanilla and process until just combined.

Add sifted flour in 2 batches and process until the flour is fully incorporated and the dough wraps itself around the blade.

Use a spatula to transfer the dough onto your work surface. Flatten into a disc shape and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into four pieces.

Working with one piece at a time, keep the remaining pieces wrapped. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to a thickness of 3 mm. Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut heart shapes. I used a 3 1/2 inch sized cutter. Use a smaller heart cutter to cut out the centers of half the cookies.

You may bake the small heart cut outs or if you prefer, roll with the remaining dough to create more sandwich cookies.

Use a metal spatula to transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets and bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar.

Place a dollop of Nutella in the center of each cookie base and spread using an offset spatula or butter knife.

Place the powdered sugar dusted cookie tops over the base.

Top each cookie with a sprinkle of toasted, chopped pistachios.