Valentine's Day Cookie Cutouts Three Ways

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One sugar cookie dough recipe using three distinct techniques yields endless sweet ways to say "I love you." Make them as Valentine's Day cookies or any other day of the year you want to spread love.

Hands On Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
48
Yield:
4 to 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup butter, softened

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 egg

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

  • ¾ teaspoon salt

  • 3 ½ cup all-purpose flour

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl beat butter with a mixer on medium to high 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, vanilla, and, if desired, almond extract until combined. Beat in salt and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

  2. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2- to 3-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into desired shapes. (Dip cutters in flour to prevent sticking.) Place cutouts 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are firm but not brown. Remove; cool on wire rack.

    Valentine's Day Cookie Cutouts Three Ways
    Carson Downing

Patchwork

Prepare dough as directed in Step 1. Divide dough into two or three portions and add food coloring to portions as desired. Roll out each portion as directed. Use small cookie cutters to cut out shapes from each color and replace with cutout shapes of another color. Cut out and bake as directed. If desired, mix 1 teaspoon vodka with 1/2 teaspoon luster dust. Brush cooled cookies with luster dust.

Painted

Prepare dough as directed in Step 1. Roll out dough as directed. Combine a few drops of red or pink food coloring, 1 Tbsp. water and 1 egg white. Using a small pastry brush or clean paint brush, brush dough with swipes of color. Cut out and bake as directed. If desired, mix 1 teaspoon vodka with 1/2 teaspoon luster dust. Finish cooled cookies with a brush of luster dust mixture.

Striped

Prepare cookie dough through Step 1. Divide dough into four equal portions. Using food coloring, dye portions various shades of pink and/or red, leaving one portion of dough plain. Working in batches, roll out dough portions and cut into strips of varying widths. If desired, brush with egg white and sprinkle with colored sugar(s), pressing lightly to adhere. Arrange strips next to each other and push together; lightly roll over with rolling pin to seal. Cut out and bake as directed. If desired, mix 1 teaspoon vodka with 1/2 teaspoon luster dust. Finish cooled cookies with a brush of luster dust mixture.

Scraps

Dough scraps can be mixed together and rolled out to make marbled cookies. Bake as directed.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

102 Calories
6g Fat
11g Carbs
1g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 48
Calories 102
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 86mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 11g 4%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 1g
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 0.4mg 2%
Potassium 13mg 0%
Folate, total 17.4mcg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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