Valentine's Day Heart Cookies

Pink Heart Cookies (makes about 18 cookies)

Supplies needed:

• Wiltshire Heart cookie cutter*
• Rolling pin*
• Baking tray*
• Cookie dough coloured pink (recipe below)
• Wire cooling rack*
• 1/2 cup Royal Icing, (buy premix from supermarket or follow recipe on the back of The Art of Baking decorating bottle set)
• Wiltshire decorating bottle set squeeze bottle and plain round tip

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced)

Roll out cookie dough on a lightly floured surface. The dough should be about 0.5cm thick.

Baking Tip - If you are having trouble rolling out, work in small batches and roll out between 2 sheets of plastic food wrap.

Using the heart shaped cookie cutter cut out as many hearts as you can from the cookie dough. Place the cut out heart shaped onto the baking tray*. Knead the scraps of dough until it comes together and using a rolling pin, roll back out to continue cutting as many heart shapes as you can.

Baking Tip - chill the cut out cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking to help them keep shape during baking.

Place cookies in the oven and bake until the edges just start to turn golden around 10 - 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on tray for 5 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to completely cool down.

When cookies are cool, place white royal icing into the squeeze bottle topped with the plain round tip and pipe a row of dots around the edge of the cookie. To pipe a dot hold the nozzle touching the cookie with the bottle upright, squeeze down on the bottle while lifting the nozzle up off the cookie a little and then stop squeezing. Pull the bottle up and away.

Baking Tip - make sure that your royal icing is not too runny, add extra icing sugar if needed so that it will hold it's shape. If the icing is too stiff and the dots are pointy wet your finger with a little water and gently press down on the points to make rounded dots.

Violet Heart Cookies

Follow the instructions for making pink heart cookies above with the same supplies but the cookies can be plain colour. In addition you will need the three pronged star nozzle from The Art of Baking Decorating Set and extra royal icing tinted violet using food colour.

Cover the top of the cookie completely with violet royal icing using the plain round icing tip. Allow icing to completely dry.

Mix up white royal icing to a stiff consistency and place in the squeeze bottle topped with the star nozzles. Pipe around the edge leaving about 0.5cm in between each star. To pipe a star hold the nozzle touching the cookie with the bottle upright, squeeze down on the bottle while lifting the nozzle up off the cookie a little and then stop squeezing. Pull the bottle up and away.

Replace the star nozzle with the plain round tip and pipe a dot in between each star.

Note -  If you prefer to use rolled fondant you can cover the cookies with a layer of violet fondant in place of the royal icing.

Simple Cookie Dough

• 200g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 100g icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 300g plain flourA few drops of pink food colour (I use gel food colours)

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, mix together butter and sugar at low speed. Once combined, increase speed to high and mix for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy.

Reduce speed to low, add the egg and mix util just combined.

Add the flour and continue to mix until well combined.

Add the pink food colour and mix until the colour is distributed evenly.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 1 hour.

This post is sponsored by us. All images, opinions and words are from Linda from Bubble and Sweet

For more scrumptious recipes, check out her blog: http://bubbleandsweet.blogspot.com.au/

*All products or variations are found in store. The Wiltshire range is available in stores from Thursday 11 February, while stocks last.