I love making home-made treats to give to people during the holidays and valentines is no exception! Cookies, brownies and small cakes are easy ways to say I love you and with a few heart-shaped cookie cutters or small baking tins you can easily give a gift that comes straight from the heart!
My go-to, absolutely hands-down favourite sugar cookie recipe is so easy to make. It is fail-proof and the cookies are always so yummy. I love the dough as it’s easy to roll out and my little guy likes to help me use cookie cutters of many styles to form the cookies. I generally use royal icing with a hint of almond extract to ice my cookies and then enlist the help of small hands to help me decorate. This year we went with a traditional conversation heart theme for our Valentine’s Day treats and I love how they turned out!
Here’s the recipe I use (which I typically half):
- 1 lb butter, softened to room temp.
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla (I usually add more)
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 5 cups flour
- Mix butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy (5 mins). Add vanilla and salt and then add the flour in two batches. Mix until just incorporated. Chill 2 hours (this step I often eliminate due to my impatient nature), cut or roll into desired shapes and bake at 325* until golden on the edges. Cool then ice if desired.
Mix up a quick batch of your own and share them with your loves this holiday! I’m telling you, nothing says I love you like something made with your own two hands (and especially with the help of two more little hands!)
