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Slice and Bake Valentine’s Day Cookies Recipe

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3.9 from 8 reviews

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these charming Slice and Bake Valentine’s Day Cookies. This classic cookie recipe features soft, buttery sugar cookies with adorable heart cutouts embedded inside, created by layering colored and plain dough. The dough is chilled and sliced into perfect rounds that bake to a light golden brown. Fun to make and beautiful to serve, these cookies are a sweet treat for your loved ones.

Ingredients

Cookie Dough

  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Red or pink food coloring (natural preferred)

Instructions

  1. Cream Butter, Sugar, and Vanilla: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat softened butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add Eggs: Incorporate eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition to ensure a smooth batter.
  3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute baking powder and salt.
  4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 3-4 batches, mixing until dough comes together. If the dough feels too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons more flour as needed.
  5. Divide and Color Dough: Remove around 1/2 to 2/3 of the dough and set aside plain. Add several drops of red or pink food coloring to the remaining dough and mix until fully blended and vibrant in color.
  6. Chill and Roll Colored Dough: Place the colored dough in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm up. Roll it out into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick on a lightly floured surface, then return to the freezer for 20 minutes to help hold shape during cutting.
  7. Cut Hearts and Assemble Core: Use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter (~1.5 inches wide) to cut hearts from the colored dough. Lightly moisten the flour side of a heart with water to help stick another heart on top, forming a heart log approximately 10 inches long.
  8. Freeze Heart Log: Freeze the log for at least 30 minutes or until solid.
  9. Encase Hearts in Plain Dough: Remove the frozen heart log from the freezer and press the reserved plain dough onto and around the hearts firmly, making sure to eliminate any gaps and rolling it into a smooth log.
  10. Chill Assembled Dough: Wrap the assembled log in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes for firmness before slicing.
  11. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat oven to 350˚F (175˚C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
  12. Slice and Bake Cookies: Slice the chilled dough log into 1/4-inch thick rounds and arrange them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, until cookie bottoms are lightly golden brown.
  13. Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on the baking sheets before serving to maintain their shape and texture.

Notes

  • Adjust flour quantity as needed based on egg size and dough consistency to avoid overly wet dough.
  • Chilling the dough and hearts at multiple stages is crucial to maintain crisp shapes when slicing and baking.
  • Use a gentle touch with water when sticking hearts together—too much moisture can cause dough to become sticky and difficult to handle.
  • Natural food coloring is preferred for a healthier alternative, but use stovetop or gel food coloring if desired for more intense color.
  • Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for longer storage.

Find it online: https://bitezly.com/slice-and-bake-valentines-day-cookies-recipe-2/