Valentine’s Day Cookies – Sally’s Baking Habit

These adorned Valentine’s Day cookies resemble dialog coronary heart candies—so enjoyable for the vacation! My recipe for sugar cookies guarantees flavorful cookies with gentle and thick facilities, barely crisp edges, and flat tops for adorning with royal icing. The dough comes along with 7–8 easy components, and the cookies maintain their cookie cutter form within the oven.

To not toot my very own horn, however… I’ve completely *zero expertise* relating to piping writing on cookies and truffles. Zero zip zilch. LOL. Pen and paper, nice! Piping frosting on cupcakes and flooding icing on cookies, completely manageable! However mix writing + piping, and I fully lose management of my hand.

Lately, my proficient assistant Stephanie got here to my rescue, and helped me write on these dialog heart-inspired cookies. As a result of we simply can’t make Valentine’s Day cookies with out the enjoyable little sayings on prime!

Dialog Coronary heart Candies

Should you aren’t accustomed to dialog coronary heart candies, they’re a Valentine’s Day staple right here within the U.S. They’re like little edible love notes! Pastel-colored, just a little chalky-tasting, and completely iconic, dialog hearts have been round for over a century. Do you know the corporate that produces them comes up with a brand new theme every year, and creates new sayings to associate with that theme? The sayings are normally candy or humorous, however may even be sassy or sarcastic!

However you don’t want to purchase a bag of dialog hearts to make in the present day’s recipe. You simply want a rolling pin, a heart-shaped cookie cutter, and just a little inspiration for what to put in writing on prime (I present some ideas under).

So A lot to Love About These Valentine’s Day Cookies

These lookalike (however tasteabetter) heart-shaped treats begin with my trusty recipe for sugar cookies. The cookies are gentle and buttery with crisp edges. The dough holds its form splendidly within the oven. Sharp and exact; no misshapen hearts!

• Gentle, thick facilities with barely crisp edges
• Irresistible buttery vanilla taste
• Made out of easy components
• Depart plain or taste with extracts
• Maintain form whereas baking
• Freeze fantastically
• Simple-to-follow recipe utilized by newbie and skilled bakers alike

Reader Sharon commented: “I’ve made this recipe in all probability 50 occasions and I completely like it! It’s not too candy so whenever you add royal icing it makes it simply excellent. ★★★★★”

We’re utilizing royal icing for in the present day’s Valentine’s Day sugar cookie ornament, however you possibly can completely skip the writing and prime them with buttercream like we do for these shamrock cookies, or use this simple glaze cookie icing as an alternative.

Overview: Find out how to Make Valentine’s Day Cookies

1. Make cookie dough. You solely want 7–8 components. With so few components, it’s vital that you simply comply with the recipe intently. Creamed butter and sugar present the bottom of the cookie dough. Egg is the cookie’s construction and vanilla extract provides taste. I nearly at all times add a contact of almond extract for added taste and extremely advocate that you simply attempt it too! Flour is an apparent addition, baking powder provides elevate, and salt balances the candy. By the way in which, you possibly can create these Valentine’s Day cookies utilizing my chocolate sugar cookies too!
2. Divide in 2 items. Smaller sections of dough are simpler to roll out.
3. Roll out cookie dough. Roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness. You probably have problem evenly rolling out dough, do this adjustable rolling pin. Such a superb invention!
4. Chill rolled-out cookie dough. With out chilling, these cookie cutter sugar cookies received’t maintain their form. Chill the rolled-out cookie dough for not less than 2 hours and as much as 2 days.
5. Reduce into shapes. Should you want ideas for cookie cutters, I really like Ann Clark brand. (Not sponsored, only a real fan!) For the cookies pictured right here, I used the three.5-inch measurement from this set. You simply want to ensure your coronary heart cookie cutter is large enough to present you loads of area to pipe the writing on—I take into consideration 3 inches is nice. You should utilize the identical cookie cutter for these raspberry sugar cookies, too.
6. Bake & cool. Relying on measurement, the cookies take about 12 minutes.
7. Adorn. Extra on the icing under.

The Trick Is the Order of Steps

Discover how I roll out the dough BEFORE chilling it within the fridge? That’s my signature sugar cookie trick!

Let me clarify why I do that. Identical to whenever you’re making chocolate chip cookies, to forestall the cookies from over-spreading, the cookie dough should chill within the fridge. Roll out the dough proper after you put together it, then chill the rolled-out dough. (At this level the dough is just too gentle to chop into shapes.) Don’t chill the cookie dough after which attempt to roll it out as a result of it will likely be too chilly and tough to work with. I divide the dough in half earlier than rolling it out and extremely advocate you do the identical. Smaller sections of dough are merely extra manageable.

Right here’s one other trick! Roll out the cookie dough straight on silicone baking mats or parchment paper sheets so you possibly can simply switch it to the fridge. Choose the entire thing up, set it on a baking sheet, and place it within the fridge. Should you don’t have sufficient room for two baking sheets in your fridge, you possibly can stack the items of rolled-out dough on prime of one another (with parchment or baking mat in between).

Royal Icing Is Finest for Writing on Cookies

This royal icing is my most popular sugar cookie icing as a result of it’s simple to make use of, dries in a pair hours, and doesn’t have a texture corresponding to hardened cement. (It’s truly on the softer facet!)

I make the royal icing with meringue powder. Meringue powder takes the place of liquid uncooked egg whites, which is present in conventional royal icing recipes. It eliminates the necessity for recent eggs, however nonetheless offers the identical consistency. Yow will discover meringue powder in some baking aisles, most craft shops with a baking part, or shop for meringue powder online.

The trickiest half is touchdown on the right royal icing consistency. My royal icing video is included within the written recipe under, so use that to assist information you.

Instruments You Want for Adorning These Coronary heart Sugar Cookies

1. Americolor Soft Gel Paste Color Kit: In my expertise, that is the BEST coloring for royal icing. The colour is wealthy and vivid. You solely want a teeny drip for the pastel colours in in the present day’s cookies. And for darker colours, 1 small drop. So these colours will final you a really very long time! I used the yellow, deep pink, violet, inexperienced, and orange; and purple for the writing.
2. Disposable or reusable piping bags.
3. Coupler(s): Should you solely have 1 piping tip and wish to adorn with a number of colours of icing, preserve the tip on the surface of the bag by utilizing a coupler so you possibly can simply switch the piping tip to different baggage of coloured icing.
4. Round Icing Tip #4: For piping the royal icing on prime of every cookie (outlining and flooding).
5. Round Icing Tip #2: For piping the writing on prime of the iced cookies.

I caught with the shortest doable sayings and phrases as a result of, effectively… you already know my wrestle. Some *brief* dialog coronary heart textual content inspiration:

• BFF
• Love
• Kiss
• Hug
• XOXO
• Candy
• Wink
• Form
• Me & U
• Cute

Have enjoyable with it, and don’t fear about making them look excellent. You possibly can even skip the writing for plain pastel Valentine’s Day cookies. Your Valentine will respect your efforts it doesn’t matter what. 😉

Extra Valentine’s Day Desserts

See much more Valentine’s Day dessert recipes.

Print

Valentine’s Day Cookies

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  Writer: Sally
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  Prep Time: 2 hours
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  Prepare dinner Time: 12 minutes
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  Complete Time: 6 hours (contains icing setting)
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  Yield: 20 3.5-inch cookies
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  Class: Cookies
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  Technique: Baking
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

These adorned Valentine’s Day coronary heart sugar cookies resemble dialog coronary heart candies—so enjoyable for the vacation! I embody the total set of particular instruments and gear I take advantage of within the Notes under.

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Directions

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt collectively in a medium bowl. Put aside.
2. In a big bowl utilizing a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar collectively on excessive velocity till fully easy and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if utilizing) and beat on excessive velocity till mixed, about 1 minute. Scrape down the edges and up the underside of the bowl and beat once more as wanted to mix.
3. Add the dry components to the moist components and blend on low till mixed. Dough will probably be comparatively gentle. If the dough appears too gentle and sticky for rolling, add 1 extra Tablespoon of flour.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal elements. Place every portion onto a chunk of evenly floured parchment paper or a evenly floured silicone baking mat. With a evenly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use extra flour if the dough appears too sticky. The rolled-out dough will be any form, so long as it’s evenly 1/4-inch thick.
5. Calmly mud one of many rolled-out doughs with flour. Place a chunk of parchment on prime. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on prime. Cowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for not less than 2 hours and as much as 2 days.
6. As soon as chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2–3 giant baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Fastidiously take away the highest dough piece from the fridge. If it’s sticking to the underside, run your hand below it to assist take away it. Utilizing a heart cookie cutter (pictured cookies use the three.5-inch measurement), lower the dough into hearts. Re-roll the remaining dough and proceed slicing till all is used. Repeat with 2nd piece of dough. (Word: It might not appear to be numerous dough, however you get numerous cookies from the dough scraps you re-roll.)
7. Prepare cookies on baking sheets 3 inches aside. Bake for 11–12 minutes or till evenly browned across the edges. In case your oven has scorching spots, rotate the baking sheets midway by bake time. Permit cookies to chill on the baking sheets for five minutes, then switch to a wire rack to chill fully earlier than adorning.
8. Make the icing: I’ve a video for the right way to make royal icing under. Use that as your information for this step. Mix sifted confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 9 Tablespoons of water in a big bowl. Utilizing a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat icing components collectively on excessive velocity for 1.5–2 minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing ought to drizzle down and easy out inside 5–10 seconds. If it’s too thick, beat in additional water 1 Tablespoon at a time. I normally want 10 Tablespoons, however on significantly dry days, I’ll use as much as 12–14 Tablespoons. Remember the fact that the longer you beat the royal icing, the thicker it turns into. In case your royal icing is just too skinny, simply preserve beating it to introduce extra air OR you possibly can add extra sifted confectioners’ sugar. Yields about 3 cups of icing.
9. Separate icing into 6 completely different bowls. (Or fewer bowls, relying what number of colours you need.) Stir in 1 tiny drop of the next colours into every bowl, 1 shade per bowl: pink, violet, inexperienced, yellow, and orange. The sixth bowl is for the writing. For that, stir in 2–3 drops of purple. You received’t use the purple icing for a pair hours after the bottom icing units, so place a moist paper towel straight on the floor of it. This prevents it from hardening.
10. Spoon or pour the pastel icings into piping baggage (disposable or reusable) fitted with round icing tip #4. Should you solely have 1 tip and wish to adorn with a number of colours of icing, preserve the tip on the surface of the bag by utilizing a coupler so you possibly can simply switch the piping tip to different baggage of coloured icing. Adorn cookies with coloured icing by piping a border across the edges after which filling it. Let the icing-covered cookies principally set, uncovered, for not less than 2 hours earlier than including writing.
11. Spoon or pour the purple icing right into a piping bag (disposable or reusable) fitted with round icing tip #2. Write desired phrases/messages on the cookies (concepts/ideas listed within the submit above!). Writing icing will set inside 2–3 hours.
12. Adorned or plain cookies keep recent lined at room temperature for five days or within the fridge for as much as 10 days.

Notes

1. Freezing Directions: Plain or adorned sugar cookies freeze effectively as much as 3 months. Watch for the icing to set fully earlier than layering between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, thaw within the fridge or at room temperature. You may as well freeze the cookie dough for as much as 3 months earlier than rolling it out. Put together the dough by step 3, divide in half, flatten each halves right into a disk as we do with pie crust, wrap every in plastic wrap, then freeze. To thaw, thaw the disks within the fridge, then deliver to room temperature for about 1 hour. Roll out the dough as directed in step 4, then chill rolled-out dough within the fridge for 45–60 minutes earlier than slicing into shapes and baking.
2. Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Rolling Pin or this Adjustable Rolling Pin | Heart-Shaped Cookie Cutter | Americolor Soft Gel Paste Color Kit | Disposable or Reusable Piping Bags | Couplers | Meringue Powder | Wilton Tip #4 | Wilton Tip #2
3. Simple Glaze Icing: As an alternative of this royal icing, you need to use my simple cookie icing if that’s simpler for you. Nonetheless, I discover it practically unattainable to put in writing with that icing as a result of it isn’t steady like royal icing.
4. Make sure to take a look at my prime 5 cookie baking ideas, my 10 must-have cookie baking instruments, and right here’s the easiest way to ship cookies!

Key phrases: valentine’s day cookies, coronary heart sugar cookies