Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring (red & pink)
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
1️⃣ Make the dough: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
2️⃣ Chill & roll: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Roll out on a floured surface to ¼-inch thickness and cut into heart shapes.
3️⃣ Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place cookies on a lined baking sheet and bake for 8–10 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Cool completely.
4️⃣ Decorate: Mix the icing ingredients until smooth. Divide into bowls and tint with food coloring. Decorate your cookies with icing and sprinkles. Let them dry before stacking.
Notes
🌟 Perfect Icing Tips:
✔ Thick for outlining, thin for flooding – Make two consistencies of icing. Use a thicker icing to outline the shape, then thin it slightly to fill in the center.
✔ Use a piping bag or ziplock – No piping bags? Snip a tiny corner off a ziplock bag for easy decorating.
✔ Toothpick magic – Use a toothpick to swirl colors together or pop any air bubbles in the icing.
🎨 Creative Decorating Ideas:
❤️ Marbled effect: Drop tiny dots of different colored icing onto wet icing, then swirl with a toothpick for a dreamy marbled look.
💗 Ombre hearts: Pipe icing from dark pink to light pink for a gradient effect.
✨ Glitter & sprinkles: Add edible glitter or sugar pearls for a sparkly touch.
🍫 Chocolate drizzle: Melt white or dark chocolate and drizzle over iced cookies for extra indulgence.
⏳ Icing Drying Time:
Let decorated cookies dry completely (at least 2-3 hours) before stacking them. If you’re short on time, pop them in front of a fan for quicker drying!
💝 Make it fun! Get the kids involved, or turn cookie decorating into a Valentine’s Day date activity. It’s all about spreading love—one cookie at a time! 🍪💕
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins |
- Category: Desert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: ~120 kcal
- Sugar: ~10g
- Sodium: ~50mg
- Saturated Fat: ~1.5g
- Carbohydrates: ~17g
- Fiber: ~0.5g
- Protein: ~1.5g
- Cholesterol: ~15mg