Easy Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies | Practically Homemade (2024)

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ByJune Albertson-DickPublishedUpdated

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Sugar cookies are my Tater’s and Tales’s all-time favorite cookie. Whenever there was a holiday of any kind that is what they requested. Decorating them all beautiful is always nice but sometimes there just isn’t time. That is why I have came up with these Easy Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies. All you need is a couple of heart cookie cutters, food coloring and sprinkles. Keep scrolling to see just how simple they are to put together.

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Now don’t get me wrong. I love to decorate cookies. This Glace’ Icing makes it really easy. The problem is having the time for set up and drying.

That is why making them with this technique is so nice. You still get the sugar cookies you are wanting but without all of the time it normally takes and the very best part…they are still ADORABLE.

They would be so much fun for a party, as a gift or even just for an after dinner treat.

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I always start with my Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Dough. In my opinion it really is the best. When baked it stays soft for days and the flavor is awesome.

To make the two-tone cookies, we want to dye half of the dough pink. I chose pink because dying things red can be a little tricky. It takes a whole lot of dye and can sometimes change the taste of the dough.

A couple of drops of gel dye is all you need.

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To get the dough to be a nice and even pink color, you will have to get your hands dirty. If you have gloves, you might want to use them. Knead the dye into the dough until everything is nicely incorporated.

Now you have the two colors you need to get going.

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It is easier to start with the dough that isn’t dyed. Roll it out onto a floured surface to about 1/4″ thick. Using the larger of the two heart cookie cutters, cut as many larger hearts as you can from the dough.

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Then go back and remove all of the extra dough around the cookies.

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Take a generous amount of sprinkles and press them into the top of the heart cookies. It works best if you make sure that the heart is equally covered.

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Now take the smaller heart cookie cutter and cut the middle of each cookie out. You might have to press down a little bit to get through the sprinkles.

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Now it is time to turn our attention to the pink dough. Roll it out onto a floured surface to 1/4″ thickness. Using the larger heart cookie cutter, cut as many cookies as you can from the dough.

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Go back and remove all of the remaining dough around the heart cookies.

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The pink dough will not have any sprinkles, so go ahead and take the smaller heart cookie cutter and cut out the middle of each cookie.

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The very best part is putting them together. Using a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat {or parchment paper}, place the outside of the heart with sprinkles onto the cookie sheet. Then place the smaller pink heart in the middle of it.

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Do the exact same thing with the pink outside of the heart and then place the smaller heart with sprinkles inside it.

Bake them in a 375 degree oven for 9-11 minutes or until the sides are just barely turning golden brown. You don’t want to over bake them.

Let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

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Look at these beauties! So much fun! Sprinkled cookie on the outside with pink cookie inside.

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Not to be outdone by these equally adorable pink cookie outside with sprinkle heart inside.

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Your Valentine’s Day sugar cookie don’t need fancy packaging or an elaborate dish because they are seriously cute all on their own.

Valentine’s everywhere would be jumping for joy to receive such a delicious gift.

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If you love making sugar cookies then here are some other ideas…
  • Glace’ Icing
  • Easy Candy Corn Sugar Cookie Bites
  • Snowflake Linzer Cookies
  • Honey Nut Rugelach
  • Heart Shaped Valentine’s Day Cookies

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Easy Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies (Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies)

The perfect sugar cookie dough made with cream cheese which makes for extra soft and flavorful cookies.

Course: Dessert

Author: June Albertson-Dick

Prep Time: 4 hours hours

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 5 hours hours

Servings: 36 cookies

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter or margarine {softened}
  • 8 oz cream cheese {softened}
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 1/4 cups flour

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl beat butter or margarine and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla extract and baking powder. Beat in flour gradually, until completely combined. Divide dough in half, wrap each half in saran wrap and refrigerate for 3 hours {and up to 3 days} or until easy to handle.

  • Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thickness. Cut out with desired cookie cutter. Place cutout cookies onto a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 8-11 minutes or until the edges are begin to turn a slight color of golden brown. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

  • Decorate as desired. Store your Valentine's Day sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Easy Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies | Practically Homemade (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to sugar cookies? ›

The very best sugar cookies are soft and tender. → Follow this tip: One of the keys to great sugar cookies is mixing the dry ingredients only until they're just incorporated, and not a second longer. Once the dry ingredients are added, less mixing equals more tender cookies.

What to add to sugar cookie mix to make it better? ›

Almond Extract: For a twist on the traditional sugar cookie flavor, try adding a small amount of almond extract. Start with 1/2 teaspoon and adjust according to your preference. Citrus Zest: Incorporate the zest of citrus fruits like lemon, orange, or lime into the dough. The zest adds a bright and refreshing flavor.

How to make sugar cookies more interesting? ›

Take plain sugar cookies up a notch with exciting mix-ins like chocolate chips, rainbow sprinkles, toasted chopped nuts, chopped dried fruit or M&M's. Add these after blending your butter and egg into the sugar cookie mix. This is our favorite hack for holiday Pillsbury cookie dough.

Do you have to refrigerate sugar cookie dough before baking? ›

Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps to make the cookie dough firmer. Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies.

Why don t my sugar cookies keep their shape? ›

Mixing Butter & Sugar

If your butter is under mixed, it won't have the air pockets to hold it's shape. If it's over-mixed, the air pockets decrease in size and are unable to hold their shape in the oven—causing your cookies to spread. It's best to cream butter and sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes.

What is the easiest way to decorate sugar cookies? ›

My favorite way to decorate sugar cookies—especially for holidays and special occasions—is by using royal icing. The secret to getting precise lines, dots, and other details with royal icing is using a squeeze bottle.

What happens if you add too much sugar to sugar cookies? ›

Sugar sweetens the cookies and makes them an enticing golden brown. Adding too little sugar can affect the taste and texture of cookies. Adding too much can cause them to be brittle. Take your time creaming the sugar and butter together at the beginning.

How do you thicken sugar cookies? ›

Soft – Dough that's “soft” or “runny” can be thickened by adding one or two tablespoons of flour to your mix. This will help keep your batch from “Spreading” and coming out of the oven looking like flat, not-so-cookie-like puddles.

How to make cookie mix taste like bakery? ›

How To Make Boxed Cookies Better
  1. Use butter instead of margarine or oil.
  2. Add powdered milk. Sprinkling about 2 to 3 tablespoons of powdered milk per cup of cookie mix may seem kind of unconventional, but it is the best hack! ...
  3. Add brown sugar. ...
  4. Add vanilla extract. ...
  5. Brown the butter. ...
  6. Include an extra egg yolk.
Jan 3, 2024

What is the secret to a good cookie? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  • Always use butter.
  • Choose the right sugar.
  • Choose the right flour.
  • Check your flour is in date.
  • Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  • Cream the butter and sugar.
  • Beat in the eggs.
  • Fold in the flour.

What makes sugar cookies hard? ›

If you roll them out too thin then they are more likely to over-bake and harden as they cool. No one likes a hard, dry sugar cookies! Don't over-bake them. If you wait to see golden brown along the edges like you would with other types of cookies, they will be overcooked!

What happens if I don't chill my sugar cookie dough? ›

Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you're more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies.

Can you over mix sugar cookie dough? ›

Overmixing the dough

Well, it's not. You really can overmix sugar cookie dough, which then leads to a tougher, chewier cookie. To ensure a light, fluffy cookie every time, mix until your ingredients are just incorporated and then put the mixing spoon down for good.

How to keep sugar cookies from puffing up? ›

8 Tips to Stop Your Sugar Cookies Spreading
  1. Change Up Your Cookie Dough Recipe. ...
  2. Don't Overwhip Butter and Sugar. ...
  3. Knead Your Cookie Dough by Hand. ...
  4. Chill the Cookie Dough. ...
  5. Freeze Your Cut Sugar Cookies Before Baking. ...
  6. Using Warm Cookie Baking Trays. ...
  7. Don't Grease the Cookie Sheets. ...
  8. Incorrect Baking Temperature.
Feb 9, 2023

Why chill sugar cookie dough? ›

Popping your dough in the fridge allows the fats to cool. As a result, the cookies will expand more slowly, holding onto their texture. If you skip the chilling step, you're more likely to wind up with flat, sad disks instead of lovely, chewy cookies. Cookies made from chilled dough are also much more flavorful.

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