Heart Valentine’s Day Cookies
Servings: 24
Calories: 255kcal
Easy to make Valentine's Day Cookies boast a delicious chocolate flavor and are beautifully and simply decorated with delicate royal icing hearts. Ideal for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, or just because, these adorable cookies are a delectable way to say "I love you."
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Ingredients
Chocolate Cookies
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 tablespoons chocolate liqueur or extra strong coffee this can be made with about 1 teaspoon of instant espresso dissolved into 2 Tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Royal Icing
- 4 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar about 1 pound
- 6 tablespoons warm water to start
- gel food coloring
Instructions
Make Cookies
- Sift together (or gently stir with a whisk) the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- With an electric mixer cream together the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until fully incorporated and fluffy.
- Beat in egg, coffee or liqueur, and vanilla.
- Add in flour/cocoa mixture about 1 cup at a time. Blend until fully incorporated. (If you are using a hand mixer you may need to add the last cup of flour by hand).
- Divide dough into two or three large balls, place in a plastic bag and chill in the refrigerator 1-2 hours (if you’re in a hurry, you can chill the dough for about 20 minutes in the freezer).
- Once chilled, work with one ball of dough at a time, and roll onto a lightly floured surface. I find it works best to place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough, and then roll on top of the parchment. This prevents the dough from sticking to your rolling pin, and you also don’t need to add as much extra flour (as you would without the parchment).
- Cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters and place on a baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet (with cookies on it) in the freezer about 5 minutes (this helps the dough keep it’s shape when baked).
- Bake cookies for 7-10 minutes (depending on size) in a 350*F oven.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet a few minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
Icing
- Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form. Spoon some of the thick white icing into individual bowls and add coloring.
- Add additional water, about 1 teaspoon at a time until you’ve reached the consistency you need.
- To copy this design, you’ll only need two bags of icing, one red and one white, both in a medium consistency. Certainly, adding pink details to these cookies would be beautiful as well.
- Outline the cookies (as shown above in the post). Allow the outline to set up a bit (about 30 minutes).
- Flood cookie with white icing. Immediately, add dots (as shown).
- As soon as dots have settled into the white icing (about 30 seconds), drag a toothpick from the top center of the heart cookie, through the first dot. Continue dragging the toothpick through all of the dots on one half of the cookie, in one continuous motion (as seen above).
- Repeat on the other side of the cookie, starting at the top, drag a toothpick through the dots.
- Allow cookies to dry (about 8 hours).
Notes
Total cookies will depend entirely on the size of cookie cutters you use.
Storage Information
Baked cookies will remain fresh at least one week stored in an airtight container or individually wrapped at room temperature.
Baked cookies can be successfully frozen for a month or more. Layer baked cookies in a freezer safe, airtight container with parchment paper between layers of cookies. Thaw cookies at room temperature before decorating. I do not recommend freezing the cookies after they've been decorated.
Royal Icing
Make sure all bowls and utensils are totally grease-free or your icing will never reach proper consistency.
Nutrition
Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg