Description
These heart-shaped sugar cookies look just like conversation heart candies but taste way better. They're surprisingly simple to make, fun to decorate with custom messages, and perfect for making with kids. Make them days ahead for stress-free Valentine's Day prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 9-10 tablespoons room temperature water
- Gel food coloring (pink, violet, green, yellow, orange, and red)
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Beat softened butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add egg, vanilla, and almond extract, beat on high for 1 minute.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on low until just combined.
- Divide dough into 2 equal parts on lightly floured parchment paper.
- Roll each piece to 1/4-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin.
- Stack rolled pieces with parchment between, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut chilled dough with 3.5-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, re-rolling scraps.
- Place cookies 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
- Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and 9 tablespoons water on high for 2 minutes.
- Divide icing into 6 bowls, add one drop of gel color to 5 bowls for pastels.
- Add 2-3 drops red gel to sixth bowl for writing icing, cover with damp paper towel.
- Pipe pastel icing borders around cookie edges with round tip #4, then fill in.
- Let base icing dry for at least 2 hours.
- Use red icing with #2 tip to write messages like 'Be Mine' or 'XOXO'.
- Let writing set for 2-3 hours before serving or packaging.
Notes
Don't skip chilling the dough - it makes cutting so much easier and helps cookies keep their shape. Use gel food coloring, not liquid, for best icing consistency. Let base icing fully set before writing or colors will bleed together. Cookies can be made 3 days ahead and stored at room temperature.