Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies
These Valentine’s Day sugar cookies are so much fun to make. If you are not a master baker, no worries. You can make these!
Royal icing can seem intimidating but I promise you, you can make these. You will be amazed at the gorgeous cookies you can make. Ready to learn how?
How to Make Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies the Easy Way
I probably should have titled this post “How to Make Pretty and Cute Valentine’s Day Cookies Without Any Experience”.
My goal today is to help you learn how to make pretty sugar cookies without being a cookie-decorating expert. It’s called “fake it and make it … look good”.
My cookies are far from perfect. And yet these cookies are cute, taste delicious, and are fun to make. The key is to enjoy the process and not take it too seriously.
Just so you know, that’s pretty much the way I do things around here. The most important thing is to have fun. Everything else just falls into place and looks pretty good when you are having fun.
Can I just say that I love these glass cookie jars? They are called apothecary jars and I found some here and they cost only $11 each. Apothecary jars are such a fun way to display things, even cookies!
So what is the secret to making easy royal icing cookies?
You need the right tools, a free afternoon, and the desire to have fun.
These Cookies Look Fancy, But You Can Make These Cookies Too!
I made the heart-shaped cookies to enjoy on Valentine’s Day and strongly recommend you do the same. I love this recipe. It is the only sugar cookie recipe that I use.
Watch the Video!
What You Need to Make these Cookies!
- Mixing bowl set
- Hand Mixer
- Heart-shaped cookie cutters like these or these
- Adjustable rolling pin (this is key, all of your cookies are the same height!)
- Baking Sheet Set
- Silicone pastry mat
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I love this rolling pin as the ledge allows you to achieve the same thickness for every cookie. When you roll out the dough it’s even everywhere. And that helps to ensure even cooking too.
I used four sizes of heart-shaped cookie cutters.
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I baked the cookies just until they were cooked, but not brown.
After baking, I froze the sugar cookies until it was time to decorate them.
The Best Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
These sugar cookies are light and flaky and have a slight taste of lemon. I love how they taste!
Ingredients
- Sugar Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoons milk
- 1 TBL lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Royal Icing
- 5 tbl warm water
- 3 TBL Meringue Powder (with vanilla)
- 4 cups Powdered sugar
Instructions
Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream
butter, and sugar; add dry ingredients, and mix until incorporated. With the mixer running, add egg, milk, lemon, and vanilla; mix until incorporated.
Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or
parchment paper; set aside.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut
into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in
between. Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more.
Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
To make Royal Icing, beat all ingredients together until icing forms peaks (about 8 minutes with a heavy-duty mixer, 10 - 12 minutes with a hand mixer). Add additional water until the desired thickness.
If you want the icing to outline and fill then use the 10-second rule. The test is done by dragging the tip of a knife across your frosting, about 1" deep. If the surface of the icing smooths over in roughly ten seconds, then it's ready for use.
What's so great about this thicker icing is you can use the same icing for the outline and for the filling in.
How to Mix the Icing for Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies
You can make your own Royal Icing (see recipe above) or use one of the Wilton pre-made Royal Icing mixes. Just follow the directions for either one.
Ideally, you want two different types of icing consistency to decorate your cookies. The first is called Flood Icing. This is what I call the base coat.
Everything you need to make the icing and decorate the cookies!
Flood Icing
There is a trick you can use to get the right consistency to be able to use the flood icing for the outline and to fill in the outline with icing. It’s called the 10-second rule. Once your icing is mixed, take a sharp knife and cut about an inch down into the bowl and count how many seconds it takes for the icing to come together and the “cut” to disappear. For the right “flood icing” the “slice” in the icing should disappear in about ten seconds.
The consistency of the frosting is determined by the amount of water added to the Royal Icing mixture. If the icing is too thick, slowly add a bit of water, mix, and cut again.
Decorative Icing
The second icing is what I call decorative icing. This is the icing you will pipe top to decorate the top of the Royal Icing cookies. It’s the icing I used for the dots, the outline and curly accent, and the flowers in the photo above.
Typically the decorative icing takes about one-half the amount of water as the flood icing.
How to Use Flood Icing
It’s very easy to use Flood icing because it is only two steps. The first step is to pipe an outline around the outside edge of the cookie.
The second step is to apply more pressure to fill inside the outline.
Use the icing tip or a skewer to fill the area completely. Pop any air bubbles that appear. Gently shake the cookie back and forth to even out the icing.
To make polka dots, add dots of flood icing in a different color, immediately on top the flood icing (before it dries).
Within a few seconds, the dots will flatten and look great!
Don’t these Royal icing polka dot cookies look adorable?
Next, let the flood icing dry, and then add the decorative icing on top.
If you look closely at the photo below, you can see that my decorating skills are definitely as a beginner. But who cares? These are very fun and I loved making them.
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Everything You Need To Display Your Pretty Cookies
Frequently Asked Questions
Let the cookies dry completely and store them in an airtight container. Use waxed paper in between each layer. You can store them at room temperature for up to one week or freeze them for up to one month
Yes, you can. Just make sure you are using an airtight container. On occasion, I have experienced icing that has become cloudy after freezing.
Royal icing keeps well for several days in the squeeze bottles. You should let it warm to room temperature before using it.
Add clear vanilla or use meringue powder flavored with vanilla. You can also use lemon juice.
More Valentine’s Day Cookie Ideas
I teamed up with some of my blogger friends and I love these adorable cookies! Just tap on the link to find the recipes.
Finding Lovely
Lovely Frosted Sugar Cookies
These sweet scalloped cookies are decorated with delicate hearts for the perfect Valentine’s Day treat.
Modern Glam
Shortbread Cutout Cookies With Raspberry Glaze
Make these delicious heart-shaped shortbread cookies with raspberry glaze for your valentine!
Happy Happy Nester
Valentine Sugar Cookies Decorating Ideas
Valentine Sugar Cookies Decorating is easy when you have perfect royal icing. This cute cookie design uses food markers to create the words. These fun markers make it personal and simple.
All you need to bake for Valentine’s Day!
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Whoa,Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie’s look Scrumptious!!!!💖💗💖
Thank you so much! ❤️❤️❤️
Adorable and Pinned!
Thank you Miche! 💗💕
Well yum! Pretty and the ribbons on the jar are cute too. A pink and fun valentines season at your house. Which jars are shown here? I like those two sizes but can’t tell which ones on amazon…Thanks!
Jillian, I bought my jars last year. Here are links to ones that are closest to the ones I used https://amzn.to/2NZw2ip and https://amzn.to/3aryvtt. Let me know which ones you get and how you like them!
Love the cookies!! What did you purchase for the ones sprinkled with white small balls? Love those.
Hi, all of the cookie decorating supplies were purchased at JoAnn. Aren’t the white sprinkles the cutest? Let me know how yours turn out!
Hi Leslie,
The cookie looks fabulous 💓
Yum! 😋
Thanks for sharing !
Thank you Mila! ❤️😊
These look delicious!
Do you know if these cookies can be made without the egg, whether it be swapped out for an egg replacer, omitted entirely, or will increasing another ingredient work?
Thank you so much!
Hi Lauren, I have been using JustEgg as an egg replacement. I’ve tried it in muffins and savory dishes but haven’t tried it yet in cookies. Have you used this product before?
Do you know the quantities for British cooking as we don’t do cups we use ozs or grams xx
Hi Claire, I do not off the top of my head, but I found this site that looks helpful: https://fabflour.co.uk/fab-baking/5-conversion-charts-for-your-convience/. Happy baking!
Leslie – I’m only seeing sugar listed on the royal icing recipe. How much sugar goes into the cookies? Trying them tonight! Thanks!
Your recipes are always so delicious! I used this cookie recipe this Christmas. The cookies quickly disappeared! Thank you and Happy 2022!
There’s something about heart-shaped cookies that is always so pretty! I love how you decorated them❤️
Thank you so much! I agree
Can you use gluten free flour to make these cookies?
Fabulous! Somehow I scrolled and watched your fantastic video w Monique and the 1,2,3,4 cake with the Still Life frosting. Can you please steer me to find the video again, plus written instructions, plus the link for the gold and bronze paint? Can’t wait to make it!
Your cookies look amazing! Decorating cookies is definitely not where my talents lie, but you have inspired me to give it a go. Hugs to you.
Oh my those look fabulous! I haven’t made sugar cookies in forever, now you’ve inspired me! I’ve been wanting to try the meringue powder too – so many fun things to do! Thanks!
Yay! Enjoy Barbara!
My one and only attempt at Royal icing was such a disaster. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to try again.
These are adorable.and Pinbed
I’ve always wanted to use Royal Icing to decorate cookies so this is my chance. Great help! Also, 2 paint sticks and a rolling pin will give you even cookie depths as well. Just in case someone wants to make right away:0)
Love these!
It is so much fun and makes decorating a blast. Ooo great tip- thanks Lori 🙌🏻♥️
Hi Leslie,
I make and decorate a lot of sugar cookies. Yours are adorable! I especially love the cookies in the glass jars playing double duty for decor and eating.💗
So Cute! Definitely going to make!
Yay Lisa! Let me know how they go for you 🙌🏻😋💕
They look great! Do you have a Gluten Free recipe for the cookies?
Have always made my sugar cookies
using shortening instead of butter. How would the baked cookie turn out differently do you think?
Hi Cindy! Probably similarly! Maybe a slightly different texture but I don’t think any big difference would be there.