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Royal Icing Valentine Sugar Cookies

Royal Icing Valentine Sugar Cookies

Royal Icing Valentine Sugar Cookies are soft sugar cookies topped with smooth royal icing and decorated with heart designs. They hold their shape well and bring a sweet, festive touch to Valentine treats and gift boxes.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Cool Time: 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 24 Cookies
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Calories: 180
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Sugar Cookies
  • 3 cups 375g all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup 227g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup 200g granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract optional
For the Royal Icing
  • 4 cups 480g powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 5 –6 tablespoons warm water
  • Gel food coloring pink, red, white

Method
 

Make the Sugar Cookies
  1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. Beat butter and sugar until creamy and light.
  3. Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
  4. Add dry ingredients slowly until a soft dough forms.
  5. Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness on parchment paper.
  6. Cut into heart shapes and place on lined baking sheets.
  7. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes.
  8. Cool fully on a rack before decorating.
Make the Royal Icing
  1. Mix powdered sugar and meringue powder in a bowl.
  2. Add warm water gradually until thick and smooth.
  3. Adjust consistency for outlining or flooding.
  4. Tint icing using gel food coloring.
Decorate the Cookies
  1. Outline cookies with thick royal icing.
  2. Flood the center with thinner icing.
  3. Use a toothpick to smooth the surface.
  4. Let cookies dry at room temperature for several hours.

Notes

1. Cool cookies fully before icing to prevent melting.
2. Adjust icing thickness slowly using small amounts of water.
3. Test piping consistency on parchment paper first.
4. Keep unused icing covered to stop drying.