These Valentine’s Day cookies are made to be gifted: crisp, easy to prepare, and beautiful to look at thanks to the love-themed cutters.
The base is a simple shortcrust pastry that doesn’t deform during baking, perfect for decorating with colored royal icing, even using pasteurized egg whites for safety.
They are ideal as Valentine’s cookies, to make with children or to package as a homemade sweet gesture to share with your loved one.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 25 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Valentine's Day
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup butter (cold)
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp egg white (pasteurized)
- 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- as needed food coloring
- A few drops lemon juice
This is a simple shortcrust perfect for decorated cookies as it holds its shape well during baking and is ideal for cutting with Valentine’s cutters.
If you’re not familiar with royal icing, you can also buy a ready-made one (like this one).
Tools
👉 To make them, I used these love-themed cutters, which you can find below. They are practical, adorable, perfect for this type of cookies, and also suitable for children.
- Cutters
Prepare the Valentine’s Day Cookies
Put the flour in a bowl and add the cold diced butter.
Add the powdered sugar, egg, salt, and vanilla (or vanillin). Knead quickly until you get a smooth and compact dough.
Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut the cookies with Valentine’s cutters and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before decorating.
In a bowl, combine the pasteurized egg white and sifted powdered sugar. Mix until you get a smooth, dense but flowing icing.
Add a few drops of lemon juice if you want to make it more stable.
Divide the icing into several small bowls and color with food coloring. Transfer to piping bags with a fine tip and decorate the cookies as desired.
Let the icing dry at room temperature for at least 2 hours, without covering.
Storage of Valentine’s Day Cookies
Decorated Valentine’s Day cookies can be kept for 5–6 days in a tin box or airtight container, in a cool, dry place.
Avoid the refrigerator, which could ruin the icing.
Tips
For more precise decoration, first outline with a thicker icing and then fill in.
The shortcrust pastry can also be prepared the day before.
For an even cuter gift, package the cookies in transparent bags with a red ribbon.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I use only pasteurized egg white?
Yes, it’s the best choice if you want to be safe and it’s perfect even for those who are not experienced.
Does the icing harden well?
Yes, once dry, it becomes solid and allows you to stack or package the cookies.
Can I prepare Valentine’s Day cookies in advance?
Of course, you can bake them even 1–2 days before and decorate them later.
