These Valentine's cookies? They are my go to when I want something that feels special but does not demand a full day in the kitchen. If you’re after Easy Valentine’s cookies with strawberry icing, this one hits the spot.
I make them with my five year old, Ellie, and the kitchen becomes a mess of pink frosting and giggles. We roll out dough like tiny edible love notes. The cookies come out buttery and soft, and the icing sets glossy and smooth so you can stick on candy eyes and chocolate smiles. Perfect for busy mums like me who want memories not meltdowns.
I first tried something like this in Norwich on a rainy February day. The oven was moody, the dough was sticky, but somehow the cookies saved the evening. This version adds a chill step to make rolling easier and an icing that stays where it should. Actually, scratch that. The corn syrup gives the icing shine and hold. It is forgiving too. If your hearts are a bit wonky, the icing and decorations hide the sins. Who would not love that?
In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or a stand mixer to cream together 1 cup softened unsalted butter and 1 cup sugar.
Add in 2 ½ tablespoons whole milk, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until evenly combined and a dough forms.
Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form the dough into balls, then flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 ˚F.
On a floured surface, roll out 1 disc of dough to ⅛-inch thickness.
Use a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out about 9 heart cookies. Space the cookies about 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies just begin to brown around the edges.
Let the cookies rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
In a food processor, combine 2 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 ½ tablespoons freeze-dried strawberry powder. Blend to combine. If using whole freeze-dried strawberries, blend until the strawberries become a fine powder.
Add in 7 tablespoons whole milk, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, and a pinch of salt and blend together until completely smooth.
Once the cookies are cool completely, dip the tops of the cookies into icing, shaking off any excess. Transfer the iced cookies to a cooling rack. Add eyes to each cookie and let the icing dry completely.
Once the icing has dried, transfer the melted chocolate to a piping bag fitted with a #2 wilton tip (or to a ziploc bag and snip a tiny hole at the tip). Pipe the smiles on each cookie. Let the chocolate harden before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
Start by gathering a large bowl for creaming the butter and sugar. A hand mixer or a stand mixer makes life easier. If you do not have either, a sturdy wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease will do, but expect to work for it.
You will also want another bowl for the floury bits, some plastic wrap for chilling the dough, and a rolling pin to flatten the dough to the right thickness. For the cutting part, you need a cookie cutter in the shape of a heart, about four inches across, and parchment paper for lining your trays. I bake on standard sheet pans at 375 degrees Fahrenheit and use a wire rack to cool the cookies so they do not go soggy.
For the icing, a food processor or blender is brilliant. It blitzes the icing sugar and the strawberries that have been freeze dried into a fine powder. A shallow bowl makes dipping easy, and for the chocolate smiles a piping bag or a ziploc with a tiny corner snipped off works just fine. Also have measuring cups and spoons, a spatula, and timers ready because distractions happen.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. It takes a couple of minutes but it is worth it. That air gives the cookies a soft centre and gentle crisp edges. Cold butter matters. Chill the dough for about an hour so it rolls easily and keeps the shapes nice and sharp. Cold butter equals cookies that actually look like hearts instead of blobs. Trust me on this.
When you roll, flour your surface but not too much. Too much flour makes the dough dry and a bit dusty tasting. Beat the egg into the wet mix until it is fully combined so the dough binds properly. Then roll, cut and bake. Follow it and you get Cut out heart sugar cookies that impress every time.
For the icing, use freeze dried strawberries ground to powder so you get bright fruit flavour without adding liquid. The powdered fruit gives a pink that looks like a shy first crush. Add a little corn syrup for shine and to stop the icing from cracking as it sets. I find this keeps my Strawberry icing cookies looking polished and glossy, even when kids get excited and tap at them before they are dry.
Chocolate Kissed Hearts: Swap about half a cup of the flour for cocoa powder to add a fudgy note. The darker cookie makes the pink icing pop and gives a deeper flavour that my husband loved. If cocoa feels heavy, reduce to a quarter cup. The change turns these into something a bit more grown up and moreish.
Berry Burst Bonanza: Mix in raspberry or blueberry powder with the strawberries for a layered fruit hit. The cookies become Strawberry icing cookies with a twist, bright and tangy. I tried this the week the heating broke and it was the small thing that cheered us up. Probably my favourite for a rainy day.
Nutty Delight Hearts: Fold in finely chopped almonds into the dough for crunch and toasty warmth. A half cup adds texture without turning the cookie into a biscuit. Pecans work well too. These feel more grown up, like Homemade valentine’s treats for a crowd.
Plate them on a red platter with fresh strawberries to echo the pink icing. A steaming mug of hot cocoa makes a lovely companion because the sweetness of the cookie balances the rich chocolate. For a lighter choice, serve with cold milk or fruit infused water so the sugar does not overwhelm small mouths.
If you are hosting, make a dessert board with these as the star and scatter some cheese cubes or nuts for contrast. You can even turn a few into Valentine’s linzer cookies by baking a set with small cutouts and sandwiching jam between the layers. These stick around well in an airtight container for a few days.
Can I make these as cut out heart sugar cookies without the icing? Yes. The dough is tasty on its own. Bake as directed and you will have tender, golden cookies that toddlers love for dunking in milk. I once made a plain batch for a snack and Ellie declared them picnic cookies.
How do I store strawberry icing cookies to keep them fresh? Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days. The icing sets firm so they do not stick together. If your kitchen is humid, I sometimes add a food safe moisture absorber or separate layers with parchment paper. I also freeze batches separated by parchment for up to a month.
Are there ways to turn these into Valentine’s linzer cookies? Yes. Bake one batch as full hearts and one with smaller heart cutouts. Spread jam on the full hearts and top with the cutouts, then dust with a little icing sugar. The jam gives a tart counterpoint to the sweet dough and makes them look extra special.
Can I use this for a Kids Valentine’s Day activity? Absolutely. It is great for little hands. Give kids the cutters and some sprinkles and let them go. Supervise the oven bits, of course, and expect flour on the floor. Ellie and I do this each year and it is chaos in the best possible way.
What if I want rolled sugar cookies with different flavours? Easy swaps are lemon zest for a bright lift or cinnamon for warmth. Small changes keep the base intact while adding a fresh note. We tried orange last winter and it cheered a grey day right up.
These Valentine’s Cookies are the lovliest cookies to bake up for your special someone. Made this recipe? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
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