Description
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these delightful heart-shaped sugar cookies, baked to golden perfection and adorned with festive red and pink sprinkles. Soft, buttery, and subtly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, these cookies are perfect for sharing sweet love with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 to 4 tablespoons buttermilk
Decoration
- Red and pink sprinkles for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it reaches the ideal temperature for baking your cookies evenly.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, mix together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder, ensuring they are well combined for consistent leavening.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In another large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter with white sugar until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, which creates a tender texture in the baked cookies.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter-sugar mixture, blending thoroughly to incorporate flavor and moisture.
- Blend Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can toughen the dough.
- Incorporate Buttermilk: Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of buttermilk, adjusting as needed until the dough becomes soft but not sticky, aiding in the perfect cookie texture.
- Shape Dough: Roll out the dough on a floured surface to an even thickness and cut it into heart shapes using a cookie cutter for that Valentine’s Day theme.
- Decorate Cookies: Place the cut-out cookies on a baking sheet, then sprinkle generously with red and pink sprinkles for a festive and colorful finish.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until they turn a light golden color, indicating they are perfectly done.
- Cool Before Serving: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool completely before serving or storing to ensure they hold their shape and texture.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened but not melted for optimal creaming.
- Use room temperature egg for better incorporation.
- Adjust buttermilk quantity to get a soft but manageable dough consistency.
- For extra flavor, you can add a pinch of salt if desired.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Sprinkles add a festive touch but can be replaced with colored sugar or omitted based on preference.
