Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies (Printable Version)
Buttery sugar cookies in heart shapes, decorated with glossy royal icing, ideal for gifting and occasions.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Royal Icing
08 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
10 - 3–4 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
11 - Gel food coloring (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
02 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
03 - Add egg and vanilla extract. Beat until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually mix in dry ingredients until a soft dough forms.
05 - Divide dough in half, shape into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut heart shapes with cookie cutters.
08 - Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
09 - Bake for 8–10 minutes until edges begin turning golden. Cool completely on wire racks.
10 - Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 3 tablespoons water until stiff peaks form. Adjust consistency with additional water as needed for piping or flooding.
11 - Tint icing with gel food coloring if desired.
12 - Decorate cooled cookies with royal icing. Allow icing to set completely at room temperature before serving or packaging.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The dough is incredibly forgiving and bakes up tender every single time
- Royal icing creates that professional glossy finish that makes people think you spent hours
- These cookies actually taste as good as they look, with just the right balance of sweetness
02 -
- Overworking the dough during rerolling makes tough cookies, so handle scraps gently and only reroll once
- Royal icing consistency matters, start thick and add water literally drop by drop until its right
- Undecorated cookies freeze beautifully for up to two months if you want to get ahead
03 -
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through baking for even browning
- If your royal icing gets too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to thicken it back up