These simple Valentine’s Sugar Cookies are a delicious classic sugar cookie topped with the EASIEST liquid fondant! A thoughtful way to show someone you care doesn’t need to be intimidating. With a little secret, a lot of love, and your favorite sprinkles, you can make these show-stopping cookies in under 30 minutes!
Giving and receiving edible gifts is one of life’s greatest pleasures! It doesn’t need to be complicated or exhausting, because we know that sometimes simple is best. It’s the thought that counts after all! Christmas time is another favorite time to decorate the classic simple sugar cookie.
What are Valentine’s Sugar Cookies?
On Valentine’s day, we want to kick it up a notch and make these sugar cookies extra adorable. With this recipe, we can still do that with ease. The crisp edges, tender on the inside and melt in your mouth bite, make these the perfect base for decorating!
I’m going to let you in on a little secret on how to make the easiest liquid fondant, or glaze if you will. All you’ll need is a tub of storebought frosting. No messing with royal icing, or making a glaze from scratch (unless of course you want to). If you’re all about quick and easy, you’re going to LOVE this!
These sugar cookies are the perfect beginner’s recipe, and one the kids can get involved in. The delicious liquid fondant sets nicely and is the perfect platform for your favorite colored sprinkles.
This is a no chill recipe, so from start to finish you can have these ready in a pinch!
Cookie Supplies:
Stand Mixer/Hand Mixer – Both will make life easier, but neither is a must. You can actually just mix by hand!
Rolling Pin – Dust with flour to prevent it from sticking to your dough, especially if you’re not rolling between paper.
COOKIE CUTTERS come in every shape and size imaginable! For Valentine’s day, hearts are always a good idea.
Ingredients:
- Butter softened – Make sure to take your butter out ahead of time. You want it at room temperature even before you begin.
- Granulated sugar – Puts the sugar in a sugar cookie.
- Large egg – It is a good idea to take out your egg at the same time you take out the butter. Having everything at an even temperature makes for even baking.
- Almond extract – You can use vanilla as an option if you’d prefer. Either one adds a nice hint of a subtle flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Like most baked goods, flour is the ingredient that is the foundation of the recipe.
- Salt – Brings out the flavor of the other ingredients and brings a nice balance to the sweet.
- Baking soda – Gives the cookie shape and allows it to rise a bit without spreading too thin.
- WHITE frosting – A tub, store bought. This makes “fondant” SO easy and the white glaze with sprinkles just looks so cute. Be sure to buy WHITE, not vanilla, or the frosting will be too creamy yellow.
- Sprinkles – Totally optional. Red, white and pink are always a classic, but you can also opt for a little fancy-schmancy and go with gold, silver, little hearts, you name it.
How to Make Valentine’s Sugar Cookies:
Step 1: Start by creaming together the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer. Add in the egg and extract and beat together. Sift in the flour, salt, and baking soda and mix until the dough comes together.
Step 2: Preheat the oven and prepare baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Roll out the dough between two sheets of paper (parchment, waxed or plastic wrap). Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and transfer them to prepared baking sheets.
Step 3: Bake until the bottom of the cookies are just barely golden. Then, remove from the oven and let cool before transferring to a cooling rack.
Step 4: Heat frosting in the microwave for 15-second intervals, being careful not to overheat. Check the consistency by dipping a spoon and watching for a smooth drizzle. Pour a thick layer of warmed frosting into a shallow bowl.
Step 5: Dip cookies upside down into the frosting and quickly lift it back up. Drip off excess and place cookie face up onto a sheet of parchment paper. Top immediately with sprinkles, then allow to set.
Step 6: Drip off excess and place cookie face up onto a sheet of parchment paper. Top immediately with sprinkles, then allow to set.
The frosting will set up and will be fairly dry after about 1 hour. Cookies can be gently stacked at that time.
Whether you’re making these for your sweetheart, your kids, or for yourself, these Valentine’s sugar cookies are irresistible, budget-friendly, and easy peasy. But make no mistake, they look (and taste) like a million bucks!
No! It’s not necessary, but it can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) if you want to make it ahead of time. It will also keep in the freezer (up to 3 months) until ready to bake.
Valentine Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Recipe
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting
- 16 oz. tub of WHITE frosting
- sprinkles
Instructions
Cookies
- Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer or with a hand mixer.
- Add in egg and almond extract and beat together well.
- Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and add to butter mixture.
- Mix until combined and the dough comes together.
- Dough does not need to be chilled, but can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator (up to 3 days) or freezer (up to 3 months) until ready to bake.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment, waxed paper, or plastic wrap to 1/4"-1/2" thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut shapes. Transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom of the cookies are just barely showing a bit of browning.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before removing cookies from baking sheet and transferring to a cooling rack.
Frosting/Decorating
- Remove the lid and foil wrapper from the tub of frosting.
- Heat for 30 seconds in the microwave and stir completely. Heat for additional 15 second spurts until frosting is pourable. Do not overheat as frosting will separate and be unusable. Check for optimal consistency by dipping a spoon into the frosting, lifting it, and checking to see that the drizzle smooths back out into a smooth surface of frosting within a few seconds.
- Pour a 1" thick layer of the warmed frosting into a shallow bowl. Hold the sides of the cookie and dip it upside down into the frosting. Be sure to coat the entire top of the cookie. Quickly lift the cookie back up, allowing the excess frosting to drip off, and then place the cookie face up onto a sheet of parchment paper.
- Top with sprinkles immediately and allow to set.
- The frosting will set up and will be fairly dry after about 1 hour. Cookies can be gently stacked at that time.
