Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies Royal Icing (Printable Version)

Charming heart-shaped buttery cookies topped with beautiful royal icing. Ideal for Valentine's Day celebrations.

# What You Need:

→ Sugar Cookies

01 - 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Royal Icing

08 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2 tablespoons meringue powder
10 - 4 to 6 tablespoons warm water
11 - Gel food coloring, optional

# How-To:

01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Add the egg and vanilla extract; beat until combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients; mix until a smooth dough forms.
05 - Divide the dough in half, shape into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.
08 - Cut out heart shapes with a cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets.
09 - Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to turn golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
10 - In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 4 tablespoons warm water.
11 - Beat with an electric mixer on low, then high, until stiff peaks form, approximately 4 to 5 minutes.
12 - Adjust consistency with more water, a few drops at a time, for flooding or piping as desired.
13 - Divide icing into bowls and tint with gel food coloring if using.
14 - Decorate cooled cookies with the royal icing. Allow to set completely before stacking or serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dough has this magical quality where it holds its shape perfectly during baking, so your hearts actually look like hearts and not sad blobs.
  • Theres something incredibly therapeutic about watching royal icing set into a glossy finish that transforms simple cookies into little edible valentines.
02 -
  • Never rush the chilling step, as I once did for a last-minute party, or youll end up with misshapen cookies that spread too much.
  • Any tiny bit of grease in your bowl or utensils will prevent royal icing from whipping up properly, a lesson I learned after a frustrating afternoon of flat, never-setting icing.
03 -
  • Adding just 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to your royal icing helps it dry with a more matte finish rather than an overly shiny one, something I discovered accidentally when I ran low on meringue powder.
  • For the most tender cookies, stop mixing the dough the moment it comes together, as overworked dough becomes tough after baking, a mistake I made repeatedly before learning better.

Go Back