Description
These Valentine’s Day Cookies are delightful 3.5-inch heart-shaped sugar cookies with a soft, tender texture and smooth royal icing decoration. Perfectly balanced with vanilla and optional almond extract, these cookies are rolled, chilled, baked until lightly golden, and beautifully decorated with pastel royal icing, making them a charming treat for celebrating love and special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients for Cookies
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)
Royal Icing Ingredients
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3 Tablespoons meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)
- 9–10 Tablespoons room-temperature water
- Gel food coloring kit or any gel food coloring for tinting
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes until completely smooth and creamy. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using, then beat on high speed for another minute, scraping down the sides and bottom to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough will be soft; if too sticky for rolling, incorporate 1 more tablespoon of flour carefully.
- Roll Out Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Place each portion on lightly floured parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each dough portion to an even 1/4-inch thickness, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Layer and Chill: Lightly dust one rolled dough with flour, then cover with a piece of parchment paper. Place the second rolled dough on top, then cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days, to firm up the dough for easier cutting.
- Cut Cookies: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2–3 baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper. Remove chilled dough layers carefully and cut hearts using a 3.5-inch heart cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps to maximize cookie yield and repeat.
- Bake Cookies: Arrange cookies on baking sheets spaced 3 inches apart. Bake for 11–12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Rotate trays halfway if necessary. Let cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare Royal Icing: Combine sifted confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and 9 tablespoons of room-temperature water in a large bowl. Beat with a hand or stand mixer on high speed for 1.5–2 minutes until icing drizzles smoothly and levels within 5–10 seconds. Adjust consistency with water or more sugar as needed. Yields about 3 cups of icing.
- Color the Icing: Divide icing into 6 bowls, adding a tiny drop of gel food coloring to each of five bowls (pink, violet, green, yellow, orange) and 2–3 drops of red to the sixth bowl for writing. Cover the red icing surface with a damp paper towel to prevent hardening until use.
- Decorate Base Layer: Fill piping bags fitted with round piping tip #4 with the pastel icings. Pipe borders around cookie edges and fill in with icing. Allow to set uncovered for at least 2 hours before applying writing.
- Pipe Messages: Fill a piping bag with red icing fitted with tip #2. Write desired messages or designs on the set cookies. The writing will set within 2–3 hours.
- Storage: Store decorated or plain cookies in an airtight container covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerate for up to 10 days to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Use almond extract sparingly as it significantly enhances flavor but can overpower if too much is used.
- If dough is too sticky after initial mixing, add flour gradually to avoid tough cookies.
- Royal icing thickens the longer you beat it; add more water if it becomes too stiff prematurely.
- Keeping the red icing covered with a damp towel prevents it from hardening before use.
- Make sure cookies are completely cool before decorating to prevent icing from melting.
- Store cookies in a cool, dry place to keep the icing from becoming sticky or running.
