Description
These adorable mini heart sugar cookies are an easy and fun treat to make for Valentine's Day! They're dipped in naturally colored icing (made with freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries) and topped with cute heart sprinkles.
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Mini heart cookie cutter (about 1 inch)
Icing:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided
- 2 tablespoons milk, divided
- ~1 tablespoon freeze dried raspberry or strawberry powder, sifted*
- Optional: natural red food coloring (we like this one)
- Mini heart sprinkles
Instructions
- Add butter, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer). Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the egg, mixing just until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches, until the dough comes together. If the dough seems too soft, add in another 1-2 tablespoons of flour. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F and line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
- On a well-floured surface, roll the dough out into a ¼-inch thick rectangle. Use a mini heart shaped cookie cutter (about 1 inch) to cut out the cookies. Transfer to the sheet pans, spacing them slightly apart (they won't spread much in the oven). Re-roll leftover dough and repeat.
- Bake the cookies for 5-7 minutes, until the bottoms are light golden brown (the tops should still be pale). Let cool completely.
- Add ½ cup of powdered sugar and ~2 teaspoons of milk to 3 separate bowls.
- To make light pink: add in 1/4-1/2 tsp raspberry or strawberry powder (or 1 drop of red food coloring). To make medium pink: add in ~1 teaspoon raspberry or strawberry powder (or a few drops of food coloring). To make hot pink/red: add in 2 teaspoons raspberry or strawberry powder and a few drops of all natural red food coloring.
- Whisk each color until combined. Add a splash more of milk, or a teaspoon of powdered sugar if needed to adjust the consistency. It should be thin enough to easily dip the cookies in, but not so thin that it runs off the cookie.
- Dip the top side of each cookies in icing, and return to a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with sprinkles while the icing is wet. Allow the cookies to set completely – this usually takes a few hours.
Notes
*To make freeze-dried raspberry/strawberry powder: Add 1-2 ounces of freeze-dried raspberries or strawberries to a small food processor or spice grinder and pulse until a fine powder forms. Sift through a fine mesh sieve and discard the seeds. If you don't have a food processor, you can smash them with a rolling pin (in a bag to prevent a mess), then sift.
Raspberry vs. strawberry color: Raspberry will yield a more vibrant pink color, while strawberries will make a softer pink color. (We used freeze dried strawberries to color these homemade animal cookies!) We prefer raspberries in this recipe, but freeze-dried strawberries are usually easier to find.
Make sure the icing is fully set before transferring the cookies to an airtight container, separating the cookies between layers of parchment paper. Keep them stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
For longer storage, keep them in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 cookies
- Calories: 50
- Sugar: 4.8 g
- Sodium: 10.3 mg
- Fat: 1.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.9 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.6 g