Heart Cookies

Cooking Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Have baking sheet(s) ready.

Knead together cookie dough and flour until completely blended. Roll out with a rolling pin to a scant 1⁄4 in. thick. Cut out cookies with cutters; reroll and cut scraps. Place about 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet(s).

Bake 8 to 12 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

To decorate cookies: Spoon 3⁄4 cup Royal Icing into a ziptop bag. Squeeze out air; seal bag. Using red food color, tint remaining icing pink. To thin pink icing for coating: Add water, 1 tsp at a time, until thin enough to spread.

To pipe border before coating (to keep thinned icing from flowing off cookies): Snip tip off corner of bag with icing. Pipe outline on cookies, saving some icing for words on cookies. Let dry about 5 minutes. To fill outlines: Dip brush in pink icing; spread to piped border. For sugared cookies: While pink icing is wet, sprinkle with colored sugar. Let dry completely, about 2 hours.

Pipe words on iced cookies with reserved unthinned icing. 

Royal Icing 

In a large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat 1 lb confectioners’ sugar and 3 Tbsp Just Whites** (powdered egg whites) until combined. Add 6 Tbsp water; beat until blended. In­crease mixer speed to high and beat 8 min­utes or until icing is very thick and white. Makes about 21⁄2 cups.

*Available in stores where party and cake decorating supplies are sold.

**Just Whites (powdered egg whites) is available in supermarkets nationwide.

Planning Tip: Can be made up to 1 week ahead. Store loosely covered in a cool, dry place with wax paper between layers.