Valentine's Day Heart Cookies (2024)

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Today we are going back to basics with these easy roll out sugar cookies! Using a heart shape cookie cutter and some pink icing, these are so fun and festive! I had so much fun making and decorating these Valentine's cookies! These cookies also make a great little gift; who could resist a soft, sweet, pretty cookie like this? Kids love to get involved and help with the cookie cutters and decorating; and if we're being honest so do most adults I know!

Though I think decorating is the most fun part of these cookies, they are also delicious plain! My husband scooped a few off the tray before they were even done cooling and couldn't stop eating them! You can decorate them with whatever you like - I chose to use a simple icing sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and milk mixture, but a homemade buttercream, egg white royal icing, or even something store-bought will do the trick.

These cookies are a dream to make; only one bowl is required. The dough is not too sticky, and it rolls out beautifully. The end result is absolutely delicious. Win-win!

How do I make Valentines Day Heart Cookies?

Step 1: Make the dough by creaming together the butter and shortening until light and fluffy, then beat in the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk until completely combined. Stir in the flour in 3-4 separate additions.

Step 2: Place the dough, covered, in the fridge for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. I usually do overnight so that I can bake at any time the next day.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 375 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 4: On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Press cookie cutters into dough, then carefully transfer cut cookies to the prepared baking sheet

Step 5: Bake in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, or until cookies are lightly golden on the bottom

Step 6: Allow cookies to cool completely before icing them.

How do you make the icing for the sugar cookies?

While the icing itself is not complicated to make, there are a few things you need to know if you want to have success:

Step 1: Place roughly half the icing sugar in a large bowl, then add the corn syrup, vanilla extract, and some of the milk to the bowl and mix with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon until everything is uniform. As tempting as it is, do not use electric beaters a because they can cause air to get trapped in the icing and you'll have a bubbly surface.

Step 2: Slowly add the rest of the powdered sugar into the bowl until a thick pasty icing is formed. This will be the icing used to outline the cookies, or if you want to keep it simple you can spread this consistency of icing on your cookies with a butter knife. It should have the texture of toothpaste - you can adjust the texture either way by using more milk or more icing sugar.

Step 3: Add in your food coloring if you would like to use it - I usually dip a fork into my pot of gel coloring, then swipe through the icing and I find that is enough, but you can use as much or as little as you'd like to get your desired color

Step 4: Once you are happy with your color, remove about 1/3 cup of the icing and put it in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. I have had the best success using Wilton #3 to outline my cookies

How to decorate the cookies with outline and flood icing:

I am going to explain exactly how I decorated my cookies with the two consistencies of icing from above:

Step 1: Using the thicker icing in the piping bag, trace along the perimeter of the cookie, about 1/4 inch from the edge of the cookie.

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour (plus more for rolling)

For the icing:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (divided)
1 tablespoon corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup of milk (divided)
food coloring (optional)

Directions

For the Cookies:

1

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and shortening until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, then beat in the sugar, baking powder, and salt.

3

Beat in the egg, vanilla, and milk until completely combined, then finally stir in the flour in 3-4 separate additions.

5

Cover dough and refrigerate at least 3 hours, or up to 3 days.

7

Once dough has been chilled, preheat oven to 375 F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

9

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to roughly 1/4 inch thick, then use heart shaped cookie cutters to cut out the cookies.

11

Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, then bake in preheated oven for 7-9 minutes, or until bottom is just starting to turn golden

13

Allow to cool completely before adding icing

For the icing:

2

In a large bowl, combine about half the powdered sugar with corn syrup, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of milk and stir until thoroughly combined

4

Slowly add in the remaining powdered sugar until a thick toothpaste consistency is formed

6

Add food coloring, if desired (this icing is done if you want to spread it on with a knife - otherwise continue with the rest of the steps)

8

Remove about 1/3 cup of the icing and place into piping bag fitted with small round tip

10

Add remaining milk to the rest of the icing about 1/2 a tablespoon at a time until it flows off the spatula in thin ribbons

12

Transfer the thinner icing to a squeeze bottle

14

Outline cookies with the thicker icing, then squeeze some of the thinner icing into the center and guide to the outside using a toothpick

15

Allow the cookies to dry uncovered on a flat surface for about 12 hours or until completely set.