Description
Sweet hearts of love take center stage in this slice and bake heart cookies recipe, perfect for romantic celebrations. Delicate butter cookies with festive pink and red icing offer a charming homemade treat you’ll adore sharing with special someone.
Ingredients
Scale
Baking Essentials:
- 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Flavoring and Seasoning:
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 12 teaspoons red or pink food coloring
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Color and Composition:
- ⅓ of the vanilla dough
Instructions
- Prepare the foundational vanilla dough by whipping butter and sugar until airy and pale, creating a smooth base. Introduce egg and vanilla, blending thoroughly to develop a consistent mixture.
- Separate a portion of the vanilla dough and infuse with vibrant food coloring, kneading until the hue is uniform and saturated.
- Carefully transform the colored dough into a heart-shaped log, using gentle pressure from ruler or spatula to define precise edges. Encase the shaped log in plastic wrap and chill in freezer to solidify structure.
- Roll remaining vanilla dough into a thin, even rectangle that will envelope the colored heart log. Carefully wrap the colored segment, pressing delicately to ensure seamless integration.
- Smooth the exterior of the combined dough log by rolling on a flat surface, creating a uniform cylindrical shape. Tightly wrap in plastic and refrigerate to stabilize the internal structure.
- Heat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Extract chilled dough log and slice into precise, uniform rounds using a razor-sharp knife.
- Arrange cookie slices strategically on prepared sheets, allowing sufficient spacing for potential expansion during baking.
- Bake until cookie edges transform to a delicate golden tone, approximately 10-12 minutes. Allow initial cooling on baking sheet to set structure.
- Transfer cookies to wire rack for complete cooling, ensuring crisp texture and optimal flavor development.
- Optional: Embellish with melted chocolate drizzle or sparkling sanding sugar for enhanced visual and gustatory appeal.
Notes
- Chill the dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain the heart shape during baking, ensuring clean, crisp cookie edges.
- Use gel food coloring for more vibrant colors without adding extra liquid that could alter the dough’s consistency.
- Rotate the dough log while slicing to keep the heart shape perfectly round and symmetrical, creating uniform cookies.
- For gluten-free options, swap all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend, maintaining the same measurements and mixing technique.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (+ 1 hour chilling)
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 133
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg