Description
Heart-shaped sugar cookies inspired by classic conversation heart candies, decorated with smooth royal icing and sweet Valentine’s Day messages.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4–1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 9–10 tablespoons water
- Gel food coloring
Instructions
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- Cream butter and sugar until smooth, then add egg and extracts.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients to form dough.
- Roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness, stack, and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Cut heart shapes, arrange on baking sheets, and bake at 350°F for 11–12 minutes.
- Cool cookies completely.
- Prepare royal icing, color as desired, and decorate cookies.
- Allow icing to set fully before serving or storing.
Notes
- Chill dough to prevent spreading.
- Let base icing set before adding writing.
- Cookies store well covered at room temperature or refrigerated.
- Plain or decorated cookies freeze well up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg