Description
Delight in these charming Valentine Cookies paired with a luscious buttercream icing dip. Perfectly tender heart-shaped cookies baked to golden perfection, complemented by a creamy, sweet dip adorned with festive sprinkles. An ideal treat for sharing love and sweet moments.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- ½ Cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ Cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- ½ Teaspoon baking soda
For the Buttercream Icing Dip:
- 4 Ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 Cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Pinch salt
- ¼ Cup sprinkles, pink and red
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream, Half & Half or whole milk
- 5 Drops food coloring, red, optional
Instructions
- Prepare dry ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside to be added later.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing well to combine.
- Form the dough: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, beating on low speed until a soft dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball, divide it in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours to firm up.
- Preheat oven and prep baking sheets: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough: Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Roll out a portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ⅛-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining dough portions.
- Cut cookie shapes: Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out shapes from the rolled dough. Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned, indicating they are cooked but still tender.
- Cool the cookies: After baking, allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely before dipping.
- Make the buttercream icing dip: Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth.
- Adjust the dip consistency: If the icing is too thick, incorporate heavy cream or milk in small increments until you reach desired smoothness. If too thin, add more powdered sugar. Optionally, stir in red food coloring for a Valentine’s theme.
- Decorate the dip: Sprinkle pink and red sprinkles on top immediately after mixing to ensure they adhere well.
- Serve: Spoon the icing dip into a serving bowl and present alongside the cooled Valentine heart cookies for dipping and enjoying.
Notes
- Chill the dough to prevent cookies from spreading, which helps maintain sharp, defined cookie shapes.
- Don’t overbake the cookies; remove them when the edges are just golden for a tender texture.
- Roll the dough evenly to ensure cookies bake uniformly.
- Adjust the dip texture gradually by adding cream or powdered sugar to get the perfect consistency.
- Decorate the dip fresh with sprinkles immediately after mixing so they stick properly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie with dip (~30g)
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
