RECIPE: Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies

I don’t know about you, but I love sugar cookies. They are one of my favorites, and I’m obsessed with how cute you can make them look with royal icing. This is an easy and relatively quick recipe you can make for any or all of your loved ones for Valentine’s Day (or any day really!). And I cheated and used Wilton’s cookie icing, which is not only delicious, but makes icing your cookies super easy and fun.

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies (varies depending on the size of your cookie cutters)

Ingredients

· 3 cups of all purpose flour

· 1 teaspoon of baking powder

· ½ teaspoon of kosher salt

· 2 sticks (1 cup) of butter, softened

· 1 cup of granulated sugar

· 1 egg

· 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

· 1 tablespoon of milk

· Wilton Cookie icing in your favorite colors (I used pink and white)

Supplies

· Heart-shaped cookie cutters (I like using multiple sizes from 3” and down, but feel free to use any shape)

· Hand mixer or Stand Mixer

· Bowl(s)

· Silicone spatula

· Parchment Paper

· Rolling Pin

· Cookie Sheets

· Cooling racks

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder.

In a separate bowl using a hand mixer or in your stand mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the egg, milk and vanilla, and beat together until combined.

Add the flour mixture gradually until completely combined. It will look a little on the dry side.

Using your hands, combine the dough into a flattened disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for one hour.

When the dough is ready, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll out a portion of the dough until it’s between ¼” and ½” thick. Use your cookie cutters to cut shapes into the dough and carefully transfer to the cookie sheet.

*Note – the dough tends to look and feel on the dry side, however, once you start working it with your hands and the rolling pin, it becomes softer and easier to use. I typically roll out a portion at a time, and then use the scrap pieces to combine with another portion.

Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes — 8 minutes if you prefer them softer and closer to 10 minutes if you prefer the edges to be slightly golden brown and the cookie a little crunchy.

Carefully transfer the cookies to cooling racks and let cool completely.

Once your cookies are cool to the touch, follow the directions on your Wilton cookie icing to soften it in the microwave and decorate your cookies however your little heart desires. I typically do one color in entirety first, and then the second color after the first has had time to dry.

Let me know what you think of this recipe, and don't forget to tag @LifeTranscribed in any pictures of your cookies. I always love to see how your recipes turned out!