Description
Sweet romance meets culinary artistry in Valentine’s sugar cookies, delicate heart-shaped treats that whisper love with each delicate bite. Crisp, buttery edges and smooth royal icing create a dessert perfect for sharing tender moments with someone special.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups (595 milliliters) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
Leavening and Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Icing Ingredients:
- 1 cup (120 grams) confectioners sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Food coloring (pink, red, or white as desired)
Decorative Topping:
- Valentines themed sprinkles
Instructions
- Craft a tender foundation for the sugar cookies by whisking flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing vessel. Create a creamy base by thoroughly blending softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture transforms into a light, airy texture.
- Incorporate the egg, vanilla essence, and optional almond extract, ensuring a smooth, uniform integration of liquid ingredients.
- Gradually fold the dry mixture into the wet components, gently manipulating until a supple dough emerges.
- Partition the dough into two equal segments, flattening each into disc-like shapes. Encase each portion in protective plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour to firm the mixture.
- Heat the culinary workspace to 350°F, preparing parchment-lined baking sheets for the upcoming confectionery adventure.
- Liberate the chilled dough, rolling it across a flour-dusted surface to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Employ heart-shaped cutters to transform the dough into romantic silhouettes.
- Transfer the delicate cut-outs onto prepared baking sheets, allowing them to bake for 8-10 minutes until edges achieve a subtle golden hue.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack, preparing them for their decorative transformation.
- Craft a luxurious icing by whisking confectioners’ sugar with milk or cream and vanilla extract. Adjust the consistency to achieve a silky, spreadable texture.
- Embellish each cookie with a gossamer layer of icing, immediately adorning with festive Valentine’s themed sprinkles before the surface solidifies.
- Permit the decorated cookies to dry thoroughly, creating a picture-perfect sweet treat.
Notes
- Softening butter perfectly requires leaving it at room temperature for 30-45 minutes, ensuring smooth creaming without melting.
- Chilling dough prevents spreading and helps cookies maintain crisp heart shapes during baking, making edges clean and precise.
- Using gel food coloring provides more vibrant icing colors without changing liquid consistency, creating professional-looking decorations.
- Adding almond extract enhances vanilla flavor subtly, creating a more complex and sophisticated cookie taste profile.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 205
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 45 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg