Description
This delightful Valentine’s Day Slice N’ Bake Cookies recipe features charming heart-shaped cookies with colorful pink and red dough wrapped around each centerpiece.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Pink and red gel food coloring
- Valentine’s Day nonpareil sprinkles
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Place the granulated sugar and softened unsalted butter into a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Incorporate the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until fully combined.
- Gradually spoon the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and gently fold with a spatula until a dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the dough tender.
- Remove one-third of the dough and divide it into two equal parts. Knead red gel food coloring into one portion and pink gel food coloring into the other until the colors are evenly incorporated.
- Roll out the colored dough to approximately ½ inch thickness. Using a lightly floured 1-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Gather scraps and re-roll to maximize the number of hearts.
- Arrange the heart cookies on a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap them securely, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- While the hearts chill, roll the remaining plain dough into long, narrow ropes. These should be long enough to fully encircle each heart.
- Remove hearts from the refrigerator. Gently press the dough ropes around each heart, enclosing the colored centers completely.
- Pour Valentine’s Day nonpareil sprinkles onto a baking dish. Roll the wrapped dough hearts in the sprinkles to coat all sides fully.
- Wrap the sprinkle-covered dough logs tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight for best slicing results.
- Once chilled, slice the dough logs into ½-inch thick cookies. Place the cookies on a baking sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden but the centers remain soft.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container to maintain freshness.
Notes
- Perfect for sharing or gifting during Valentine’s Day.
- Ensure the dough is chilled for best results.
- Use different colored sprinkles for variety.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg