VALENTINE’S DAY HEART CUTOUT COOKIES

 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (112g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (207g) sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups (293g) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
4. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Dough will be very thick. You might need to use a spatula or your hands to help it all come together.
4. On a lightly floured surface and using smaller amounts of dough at a time, roll out dough to about 1/8 to a 1/4 inch. If dough sticks to rolling pin, lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with flour.
5. Use cookie cutters to cut out cookies, then transfer to cookie sheet.
6. Bake cookies 7-9 minutes. Remove from oven just before they start to brown on the edges.
7. Allow cookies to cool for 4-5 minutes, then move to cooling rack to finish cooling.

NOTE: The best way to measure the dry ingredients for this recipe to ensure your cookie dough isn’t dry is to measure them by weight. If you don’t have a scale though, be sure not to pack the flour into your measuring cup. I usually store my flour in a separate container from the bag I bought it in, then prior to measuring I use a spoon or other utensil to loosen the flour. I use a scoop to scoop out the flour, then level it with the flat side of a knife. Don’t tap the scoop to settle the flour or pack in the flour.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp meringue powder
4 cups powdered sugar
6-8 tbsp water
DIRECTIONS:

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine meringue powder and powdered sugar in the bowl of a mixer.
2. Add 6-7 tablespoons of water and mix with whisk attachment at medium speed for about 7-10 minutes, or until icing looses it’s sheen. Begin with 6 tablespoons and add up to an addition tablespoon if needed to get the icing smooth for mixing.
3. Once icing is ready, add additional water to get the right consistency for piping. See notes and video above for guidance on consistency, coloring and piping.

Note: Once icing is ready, cover with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out. Icing can be stored in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks. Stir again before using