Easy Heart-Shaped Cutout Sugar Cookies | Valentine's Day Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you cut a heart shaped cookie? ›

Roll the dough up into a log tightly. Shape the log so that there are three sides. Take the back-end of a knife and run it down the middle of one of the sides to make the groove for the heart's top. Using your hands shape the two rounded tops and make any final adjustments to get a nice heart shape.

You start by scooping out some dough & rolling it into a ball. Next use the bottom of a glass (which can be dipped in sugar to keep the dough from sticking) & press the cookie down. Now take your thumb & index finger & pinch the bottom of the cookie to make the bottom “V” shape of the heart.

Sandwich your dough between two sheets of parchment, roll, then freeze; it makes cut-out cookies a breeze! If you plan to store it for only a few hours or days, there's no need to overwrap the baking sheet; for longer storage, wrap the entire baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap before freezing.

Sketch the design you want, trace the shape on a manila folder and cut. Now, just place it on your dough and trace cut around it with a paring knife. (I always roll my dough on wax paper...a little extra protection for the counter tops if you're using this method.) Templates are best for simpler cookies.

Even if you don't have a box full of fun holiday cookie cutters, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy cute cut-out cookies on your holiday table. A standard drinking glass with about a 3-inch opening is a great stand-in for cookie cutters.

Over-working the dough yields a tough cookie, which is not at all what you want. The very best sugar cookies are soft and tender. → Follow this tip: One of the keys to great sugar cookies is mixing the dry ingredients only until they're just incorporated, and not a second longer.

And when it comes to baking cutout cookies, if your butter is too warm, your cookies will very likely spread. Try using more chilled butter. When I'm making cutout cookies, I use butter that has been out of the fridge for less than 30 minutes or simply zap in the microwave for 12 second on half-power.

Dip cookie dough rounds in sprinkles or sugar before baking. On ungreased cookie sheet, place cookie dough rounds about 2 inches apart. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.

Refrigerating the dough allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps to make the cookie dough firmer. Firm dough prevents the cookies from spreading too much, which is why chilling the dough is a crucial step for cut-out and rolled cookies.

Cornstarch does kind of incredible things to cookies. I mean not only does it give them soft centers, prevents them from spreading, and makes them somewhat thick (in a good way), but it also contributes to the chewiness factor, which, in my opinion, is the most important cookie attribute.

Why won't my sugar cookies hold their shape? ›

Chef Smith says that Christmas cookies often spread if you don't cook them at the right temperature. This can be especially tricky with an older appliance. As an oven ages, the temperature may be less accurate. Smith recommends purchasing an oven thermometer to make sure you are baking at the correct temperature.

Use a template.

If you're worried about freehanding, you can print out shapes and use them as a guide. Roll out your dough, place the paper guide onto the dough and cut around it with a knife.

Start cutting in the middle of 1 side of the heart. Make a slice from the center of the cake out to the side of the cake with your cake knife at an angle. Then, cut the other side of the triangle piece from the center of the cake to the side. Continue to cut triangle pieces until your cake is sliced.

“My way” of hand cutting cookies is not the only way, and I'm not an expert at this skill so my cookies don't look “absolutely perfect”. If you want them to “look perfect”, make sure you're using a super sharp knife, and moving in consistent, smooth motions during your cut.