February 2, 2023 • 7 comments

Valentine Sugar Cookies

A hint of almond extract gives these Valentine sugar cookies incredible flavor! Topped with a simple but delectable homemade frosting, they are simply irresistible.

plate of heart shaped sugar cookies with pink frosting

This is the sugar cookie recipe that I grew up with. I have tried several other recipes over the years, some with sour cream, buttermilk, cornstarch, powdered sugar, and even lemon zest.

But I always come back to this one. It is still my favorite. I love the buttery flavor with the hint of almond. They are always soft, chewy, and yummy!

A PERFECT VALENTINE’S DAY RECIPE

When I asked my family what recipe makes them think of Valentine’s Day, heart shaped cookies is the answer that every single one of them gave.

I was a little surprised by that, I thought at least one of them would pick something with chocolate. But the valentine sugar cookie was the unanimous winner!

So if you are looking for a way to say “I love you”, you can’t go wrong with these tasty cookies. Who can resist a soft, buttery cookie topped with creamy frosting?

HOW TO MAKE VALENTINE’S DAY SUGAR COOKIES

PREP – Soften your butter by letting it sit at room temperature for a few hours. Let your eggs come to room temperature as well. Line cookie sheets with silicone liners, or spray with non stick cooking spray.
WET INGREDIENTS – In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer until very creamy. Add the eggs, almond extract, and vanilla. Beat just until combined.
DRY INGREDIENTS – Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add to the wet ingredients and stir gently just until the flour is moistened.
CHILL – Cover the dough (or wrap in plastic wrap) and chill for an hour or two. (Or up to 2 days.)
ROLL & CUT – Let the dough sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle your counter with flour, and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to about ¼” thick. Cut into heart shapes with a cookie cutter. (Mine is 3” across.)
BAKE – Place the cut cookies at least an inch apart on your prepared pans. Bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes.
COOL & FROST – Let cookies cool on the pan for 4-5 minutes, then remove to wire racks. Cool completely, then decorate with sugar cookie frosting. You can either use decorator tips and piping bags, or simply spread the frosting on with a butter knife.

PRO TIPS:

Avoid over mixing your dough after you have added the flour. That leads to tough cookies.
Keep in mind that when rolling – thin dough will make crunchier cookies, thicker dough will yield softer cookies. There’s no right or wrong, make them how you like them!
When cutting out your cookies, space them as close together as possible so you don’t have to re-roll the dough as often. Every time you re-roll, you add flour, and you don’t want dry cookies.
If your dough is too sticky, pop it back in the fridge. If it’s to hard, let it sit longer at room temperature.
For cookies with crisp edges, let them bake until the edges are lightly browned. For extra soft cookies, just bake them until the centers are set.

HOW TO STORE VALENTINE’S DAY SUGAR COOKIES

After frosting the cookies, let them sit for an hour or two, until the top of the frosting sets. Then they are ready to be stored.
I recommend placing them in airtight containers with waxed paper between the layers. It’s best not to stack them more than three deep, or the frosting can get squished.
They will last for up to a week at room temperature.
You can also freeze the cookies. I prefer to freeze them before they are frosted, but you can freeze them after you frost them.
Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and freeze them for a couple of hours. After they are hard, you can transfer them to freezer safe containers. They will last for about 3 months in the freezer.
When ready to serve, let them thaw at room temperature, especially if they have been frosted. If they aren’t frosted, you can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds.

VARIATIONS:

If you really detest almond extract, you can just omit it, or you can substitute vanilla, lemon, coconut, or another flavor of extract. Or if you really love vanilla flavor, you can add the seeds of a vanilla bean.
Instead of frosting the cookies, you can just sprinkle coarse sugar over the cookies before you bake them.
Tiny cookies are fun, so if you have mini cookie cutters, you can use them. Just keep in mind that they will bake faster, so keep an eye on them!
My kids love to help me frost and then add candy to their cookies. Valentine M&M’s red hots, and juju hearts are fun.
We love these with a good buttercream sugar cookie frosting, but you can use royal icing if you prefer.

plate of heart shaped valentine sugar cookies

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