Description
Irresistible heart-shaped sugar cookies bring romantic charm to any Valentine’s celebration. Sweet, buttery treats with delicate pink frosting promise pure dessert bliss for loved ones.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2.75 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
Leavening and Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 0.5 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Decoration:
- Royal icing or sprinkles
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, creating a uniform dry ingredient base.
- Beat butter and sugar in a separate container until the mixture becomes airy and pale, achieving a creamy consistency.
- Incorporate egg, vanilla, and almond extracts into the butter mixture, blending thoroughly until smooth.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until a cohesive dough develops.
- Encase the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 60 minutes to enhance flavor and texture.
- Heat the oven to 350F and prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper for optimal cookie release.
- On a lightly dusted surface, roll the chilled dough to approximately 1/4-inch thickness, ensuring even distribution.
- Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to create delicate cookie silhouettes, transferring each carefully to the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, watching for subtle golden edges that indicate perfect doneness.
- Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before embellishing with royal icing or festive sprinkles for a romantic touch.
Notes
- Chill dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain heart-shaped cookie structure during baking.
- Dust rolling pin and surface with powdered sugar instead of flour to prevent dry, tough cookies.
- Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth, even mixing and consistent cookie texture.
- Swap almond extract with additional vanilla for nut-free version or experiment with different flavor extracts like orange or rose water.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg