Quick Pink Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies

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If you ask me, heart-shaped sugar cookies are a childhood dream come true.

These pretty pink cookies bring a smile to everyone’s face, combining the sweetness of classic sugar cookies with a fun, lovable shape. The soft, buttery dough rolls out easily and holds its form while baking.

I like to finish them with a simple pink icing that adds just the right amount of extra sweetness. A light dusting of sparkly sugar gives them that special touch that makes everyone reach for seconds.

They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day, but honestly, I make them year-round because who doesn’t need a little extra love on their cookie plate?

What Kind of Flour Should I Use?

For sugar cookies, all-purpose flour is your best friend – and yes, the sifting step really matters! While cake flour might make your cookies too delicate and bread flour too tough, all-purpose flour hits that sweet spot for the perfect sugar cookie texture. Most grocery store brands like Gold Medal or King Arthur will work great, but try to avoid self-rising flour since this recipe already includes baking powder. Before measuring, give your flour a good sift to remove any lumps – this helps prevent dense, heavy cookies and ensures they’ll bake up nice and even. If you’re in a pinch and don’t have a sifter, you can use a fine-mesh strainer to achieve similar results.

Options for Substitutions

These cute cookies are pretty adaptable! Here are some helpful swaps if you need them:

• All-purpose flour: You can use cake flour for a more tender cookie, but you’ll need to add 2 extra tablespoons per cup. For a gluten-free version, try a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
• Unsalted butter: Salted butter works too – just skip the added salt in the recipe. If you’re dairy-free, try using plant-based butter sticks (not spread) at room temperature. Shortening also works, though you’ll lose some flavor.
• Vanilla essence: Feel free to swap with vanilla extract, or try almond extract for a different flavor (use half the amount as it’s stronger).
• Pink food coloring: Natural alternatives include beet powder or strawberry powder, though the color won’t be as bright. Start with 1-2 teaspoons and adjust as needed.
• Icing sugar: You can make your own by blending regular sugar in a food processor until very fine. For the decorations, sugar pearls can be replaced with sprinkles, or you can skip them altogether.
• Egg: For a vegan version, try using 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce or a commercial egg replacer – just note that the texture might be slightly different.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The temperature of your ingredients makes a huge difference in sugar cookie success – cold butter won’t cream properly with sugar, while overly soft butter will make your dough too sticky, so aim for butter that’s just soft enough to leave an indent when pressed. Working with warm dough is another common mistake that leads to spreading cookies and lost shapes – always chill your dough for at least 1 hour (or better yet, overnight) and work with small portions while keeping the rest cold. Rolling your dough to an uneven thickness can result in some cookies burning while others remain underbaked, so use 1/4-inch wooden dowels as guides on either side of your rolling pin to ensure consistent thickness. When it comes to the pink icing, adding too much food coloring can make your frosting too thin and give it a bitter taste – start with tiny drops and remember you can always add more, but you can’t take it away once it’s mixed in.

What to Serve With Sugar Cookies?

These sweet pink cookies are perfect for serving alongside some warming drinks that’ll make your cookie-eating experience even better! A cold glass of milk is the traditional go-to, but these cookies also pair wonderfully with hot chocolate, especially during colder months. If you’re hosting a tea party or Valentine’s Day gathering, serve them with some Earl Grey or chamomile tea for a lovely afternoon treat. For the kids, you might want to put out some strawberry milk to match the pink theme – it’s always a hit at parties!

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These pretty pink cookies stay fresh when kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Place a piece of wax paper or parchment between layers to protect the icing and prevent the cookies from sticking together.

Freeze Undecorated: The plain sugar cookies (without icing) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just wrap them well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. You can also freeze the raw dough! Shape it into a disc, wrap in plastic, and freeze for up to 2 months – perfect for when you want fresh-baked cookies.

Make Ahead: You can make the dough up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Just let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before rolling. The icing can be made 1 day ahead – store it in an airtight container in the fridge and give it a good stir before using.

Preparation Time	20-30 minutes
Cooking Time	7-10 minutes
Total Time	27-40 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2800-3200
• Protein: 20-25 g
• Fat: 180-200 g
• Carbohydrates: 300-350 g

Ingredients

• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 cup softened unsalted butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 1 large or extra-large egg, preferably at room temperature
• 2 cups sifted icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons cold water or milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or kosher salt
• Pink food coloring gel or drops, as desired
• Optional: white sugar pearls

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Sheets and Oven

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a couple of rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper and set them aside for later use.

Step 2: Mix the Wet Ingredients

In a medium to large mixing bowl, use a wire whisk to mix the butter until it becomes fluffy.

Switch to a rubber spatula to incorporate the sugar, egg, and vanilla into the butter.

Mix until all wet ingredients are well combined.

Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients and Form Dough

In a separate mixing bowl, use a wire whisk to combine the dry ingredients.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing well with the rubber spatula.

Make sure to thoroughly combine all dry ingredients with the wet ones, as the dough will be stiff.

Do not refrigerate the dough.

Step 4: Roll Out and Cut the Cookie Dough

Form the dough into a round ball and place it on a nonstick surface or parchment paper.

Roll out the dough to a thickness of ¼ inch to ½ inch.

Using your preferred cookie cutter, start cutting out shapes.

Place each cut-out cookie on the prepared cookie sheets.

Gather the remaining dough, roll it back into a ball, and roll it out again to cut more cookies.

Step 5: Bake and Cool the Cookies

Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 7 to 10 minutes.

The cookies should have a slight browning on top.

Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet placed on a wire rack.

When firm enough to handle, transfer each cookie to the wire rack to cool completely.

Step 6: Make and Apply the Icing

As the cookies cool, prepare the icing.

In a medium mixing bowl, add sifted sugar and a small amount of water or milk.

Whisk the mixture until smooth.

Add vanilla and salt, continuing to whisk until the icing reaches the desired consistency.

You can add more liquid if necessary.

If desired, add food coloring to achieve the preferred color.

Apply the icing with a small offset spatula, butter knife, or small rubber spatula, or place the icing in a zip-lock bag with a small hole cut in the corner for piping.

While the icing is still wet, sprinkle with sugar pearls if using.