Valentine's cookies recipe

These Valentines cookie lollies are an easy way to show someone you care this Valentine's Day!

These gorgeous, red Valentine's cookies are the perfect symbol of love.

These simple biscuits show just how creatively you can show someone you love them. This method of icing is called flood icing. You create an outline around the edge of the biscuit to form a boundary, then you 'flood' the inside with runny icing to create this beautifully smooth finish. It might sound skilled, but once you try it we think you'll find it's really easy to master. And the results are so professional. This recipe makes a dozen love hearts - a much great declaration of adoration than a dozen red roses. Although there's no bad time of year for red hearts, you could vary the colours outside of the February season - blue or yellow would be lovely for birthdays, or as favours for an early summer wedding.

Ingredients

• 110g unsalted butter
• 55g caster sugar
• 170g plain flour
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 300g royal icing
• red food colouring

You will also need:

• 12 lolly sticks
• heart-shaped cookie cutter
• ribbon to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2.
2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar together until fluffy, then mix in the flour until it comes together in a soft ball. Cover the mixing bowl with a tea towel and leave in the fridge for 15 minutes.
3. On a floured surface, roll out the dough and use a heart-shaped cutter to make the heart shapes. At the bottom of each heart, carefully push a lolly stick at least 1in (25mm).
4. Place the cookies on a greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until they are just golden brown.
5. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet to cool for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
6. Follow the instructions on the royal icing to make soft-peak icing, adding your choice of food colouring you wish to use.
7. With a piping bag and fine nozzle, pipe a heart outline on each cookie. Leave for around 10 minutes to harden.
8. Follow the instructions on the royal icing to make runny icing, adding food colouring as required. Use the runny icing to fill the area inside each heart shape, taking care not to over-fill or it will run over.
9. Before the icing sets, decorate by piping contrasting colours of runny icing onto the surface.
10. Decorate with a piece of ribbon tied in a bow on the lolly stick.

Top tip for making Valentine's cookies

Add half a teaspoon of ground ginger or ground cinnamon to the cookies to give them a bit of a spicy kick.

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