Cupid’s Cookies

Posted on: February 7, 2019

Chocolates, flowers, teddy bears holding big red hearts . . . they all scream Valentine’s Day is almost here.  I have to say, nothing says Valentine’s Day quite like conversation hearts though.  Those little candy hearts bearing romantic phrases such as “Love You”, “Be Mine” and “Kiss Me” are truly a Valentine classic.  I remember giving them out to classmates in elementary school and making sure that the boy who stole my heart in the second grade got the most.  A couple decades later, I figured it was time for a throw back.  Say I love you with these yummy conversation cookies.  Does your significant other have a sweet tooth?  Mine certainly does.  Not only will these treats satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth but they are absolutely adorable!  These cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate and will add a personal touch to your Valentine’s.

 

Valentine’s Day Heart Sugar Cookies                                                                                                             Ingredients:

2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

optional for added flavor: 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Royal Icing:

4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 Tablespoons meringue powder

6-7 Tablespoons room temperature water

Americolor Soft Gel Paste Color Kit for coloring

 

Directions:

  1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
  3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. If the dough seems too soft, you can add 1 Tablespoon more flour until it is a better consistency for rolling.
  4. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat (I prefer the nonstick silicone mat) to about 1/4″ thickness. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly ¼-inch thick.
  5. Stack the pieces, with parchment paper between the two, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days. If chilling for more than a couple hours, cover the top dough piece with a single piece of parchment paper.
  6. Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and using a heart cookie cutter, cut into heart shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd dough piece.
  7. Bake for 10-11 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Make sure you rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
  8. Make the icing: In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat all of the icing ingredients together on high speed for 5 minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 10-12 seconds. If it’s too thick, add a little more water. If it’s too thin, add a little more sifted confectioners’ sugar. Separate icing into 6 different bowls. Stir in 1 tiny drop of the following colors into each bowl, 1 color per bowl: pink, violet, green, yellow, and orange. The 6th bowl is for the writing. Use 2-3 drops of red.
  9. Add icing to piping bag fitted with round icing tip #5. Decorate cookies with colored icing. Use round icing tip #1 for writing. Do not cover cookies as icing sets. Icing will set within 4-6 hours.
  10. Decorated or plain cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

 

This recipe is from “Sally’s Baking Addiction”, for more recipes to satisfy you sweet tooth, pop in to Coles and pick up “Sally’s Baking Addiction” by Sally McKenney.

 

Happy Valentine’s.

~Asna