Description
Sweet romance dances through these conversation heart cookies, blending nostalgic charm with delicate homemade magic. Pastel-hued and whisper-light, these cookies invite love’s playful spirit onto your dessert plate with irresistible French-inspired elegance.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
Flavor Enhancers:
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Decorative Ingredients:
- 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 9–10 tablespoons room-temperature water
- Gel food coloring (pink, violet, yellow, green, orange, red)
Instructions
- Prepare workspace by heating oven to 350°F and lining baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly to eliminate any lumps.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl using electric mixer, beating until light and fluffy for approximately 2 minutes.
- Incorporate egg, vanilla, and almond extract into butter mixture, blending until ingredients are completely integrated.
- Gradually fold dry ingredients into wet mixture, stirring on low speed until a cohesive dough forms. Adjust consistency by adding extra flour if dough appears too sticky.
- Separate dough into two equal portions, rolling each section to 1/4-inch thickness on floured surface. Refrigerate rolled dough for 2 hours to firm up.
- Use heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut precise shapes, carefully collecting and re-rolling any remaining dough scraps.
- Position cookie shapes on prepared baking sheets, maintaining 3-inch spacing between each piece.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, rotating pans midway through cooking to ensure even browning. Allow cookies to cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare royal icing by whisking confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder, gradually adding water until achieving smooth consistency.
- Divide icing into separate bowls, tinting with gel food coloring and transferring to piping bags for detailed decoration.
- Decorate cookies with pastel-colored icing, allowing initial layer to set for 2 hours before adding intricate red writing details.
- permit final decorative elements to dry completely for an additional 2-3 hours before serving or storing.
Notes
- Flour precision matters for achieving the perfect soft texture. Add an extra tablespoon if the dough feels too sticky or wet.
- Chilling the dough is crucial for preventing cookie spread and maintaining crisp heart shapes during baking.
- Use gel food coloring instead of liquid for vibrant pastel colors without altering icing consistency.
- Create gluten-free version by substituting all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend for equally delightful cookies.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 11–12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 164
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 36mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 18mg