Heart Cookies with Pink Frosting (Printable)
Buttery heart-shaped cookies with creamy pink frosting. Ideal for Valentine's Day or special celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Cookies
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Pink Frosting
08 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - A few drops pink or red food coloring
# How To Make:
01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined.
05 - Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into heart shapes using a cookie cutter.
08 - Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are just barely golden. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Beat together powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add food coloring and mix until desired pink shade is achieved.
11 - Spread or pipe frosting onto cooled cookies. Allow frosting to set before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These cookies have this magical ability to hold their shape without spreading too much, so your hearts actually look like hearts when they come out of the oven.
- The pink frosting creates this perfect buttery-sweet layer that melts slightly into the cookie, creating the most satisfying bite that reminds me of childhood bakery treats.
02 -
- Chilling the dough isnt optional, I learned this the hard way when I tried to rush once and ended up with one giant merged cookie that spread across the entire baking sheet.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting or youll end up with a melted, runny mess that slides right off the cookies.
03 -
- If your kitchen is warm, place the cut cookie shapes back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before baking to ensure they hold their heart shape perfectly.
- Add a tiny pinch of salt to the frosting to balance the sweetness and bring out a more complex flavor that adults especially appreciate.