Easy Decorated Valentine Cookies
User Reviews
5
12 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
20 mins
-
Cook Time
24 mins
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Total Time
44 mins
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Servings
24
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Calories
137 kcal
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Course
Dessert
Easy Decorated Valentine Cookies
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Easy Decorated Valentine Cookies are buttery, tender cookies made from a mix of all-purpose flour and cornstarch for a delicate texture. Rolled and cut into shapes, they chill before baking to preserve their form. Decorated with a simple powdered sugar glaze and optional buttercream piping colored for Valentine’s themes, they offer a classic, festive treat for occasions.
Description
The cookie dough combines very soft butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, flour, and cornstarch, mixed by hand then kneaded lightly before rolling out. The cornstarch softens the dough, producing a tender yet sturdy cookie. After cutting shapes, chilling the dough for at least an hour helps maintain shape and prevents spreading during baking.
The glaze is made from powdered sugar, half and half, and vanilla or other flavored extracts and can be poured or brushed on. Buttercream frosting, optionally tinted with food coloring, can be piped for additional decoration and sprinkled with nonpareils.
These cookies are ideal for Valentine’s Day celebrations or gifts and can be sized differently by adjusting cutter size. The recipe yields about a dozen large or two dozen smaller cookies.
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Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 8 ounces butter 2 sticks, very soft
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup corn starch
For the glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons half and half maybe more
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavored extracts
For the buttercream piping:
- 1 tablespoon butter very soft
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½-3 tablespoons half and half you might need more
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavored extracts
- 3-4 Food Coloring drops
- nonpareils
Instructions
- Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper. Set aside. Place soft butter in a medium-size mixing bowl. Stir with a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula until nice and smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix together by hand for about 1 minute, until fluffy and well blended.
- Add the flour and corn starch. Stir until dry ingredients are incorporated and the dough is shaggy.
- Generously flour a work surface. Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and press into a ball. Knead 5-6 times times until fairly smooth, then form into a ball again and press with your hands into a flat disk. Turn the disk to coat both sides with flour.
- Roll out the dough to an approximate ⅜-inch thickness (see tips above in post). Keep work surface, dough and rolling pin dusted with flour. Cut desired shapes and place on prepared pans. Re-roll scraps as many times as needed to use up the dough.
- Place cutouts in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375˚F. Remove 1 pan of cutouts from the refrigerator and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Rotate pans halfway through for even browning. Repeat with second pan of cutouts. Cool completely before icing.
- For the glaze, combine powdered sugar, half and half and extract in a medium-size bowl. Mix until smooth. Glaze should be thick, but pourable. Add a little more half and half if too thick. Taste the glaze and add more extract, if more intense flavor is desired.
- Transfer the glaze to a shallow bowl. To glaze the cookies, hold onto the edge of a cookie and dip the top surface into the glaze, being sure all of the top surface touches the glaze. Pull cookie straight up and out of the glaze. Allow excess glaze to drip back into the bowl for about 15-20 seconds. When glaze stops dripping, quickly flip the cookie to the right side up and give it a gentle jiggle to allow the glaze to flow evenly over the surface. Repeat with remaining cookies. Allow glaze to dry for 15-30 minutes.
- For the buttercream piping, place butter in a medium-size bowl and stir until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 ½ tablespoons half and half and extract and stir vigorously until smooth, adding a bit more half and half if needed to achieve a thick, but smooth consistency. Add food coloring, a drop at a time, to reach desired shade.
- Place buttercream in a pastry bag fitted with a small round icing tip (I used a Wilton #5 round tip).
- 10. Make an outline on the top of each cookie with a small heart-shaped cookie cutter. Pipe around the outline with buttercream. Then, starting at the top, fill in the heart with diagonal, back and forth lines (see pictures above). Immediately sprinkle with nonpareils of choice. Set aside to dry.
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 12 large (3-inch) or 24 smaller (2-inch) cookies.
- Chill cookie cutouts for at least one hour and up to 24 hours before baking to help cookies retain shape.
- Use ample flour on the work surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking while rolling dough.
- Decorate cooled cookies with glaze and buttercream piping as desired, adding sprinkles for detail.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
137kcal
(7%)
Carbohydrates
15g
(5%)
Protein
1g
(2%)
Fat
7g
(11%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Cholesterol
20mg
(7%)
Sodium
68mg
(3%)
Potassium
13mg
(0%)
Sugar
7g
(14%)
Vitamin A
240IU
(5%)
Calcium
5mg
(1%)
Iron
0.4mg
(2%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 24Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 137 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 137kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 15g | 5% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 7g | 11% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 20mg | 7% |
| Sodium | 68mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 13mg | 0% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 240IU | 5% |
| Calcium | 5mg | 1% |
| Iron | 0.4mg | 2% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
12 reviews
Excellent
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