Nothing says Valentines Day quite like heart shaped cookies.
If you’ve been wanting to try your hand at decorating cookies, Valentines Day is the perfect opportunity, because the shapes and colors are simple.
Last year I made chocolate cut out cookies, this year I stuck with my favorite butter cookie recipe, but instead of decorating with royal icing or glaze, I wanted to try something a little different………cue the buttercream baby!
That’s right buttercream on cookies! I tried a recipe for quick crusting buttercream but had to adapt it a little to be able to squeeze it thru a piping bag.
I found some cute Valentine cookie cutter sets at both Dollar General and Target’s Dollar Spot. {I’m no cookie cutter snob 4- 6 cutters for $2.50 sweet!} But I did also buy a nice set of graduating scalloped squares from Sweet Baking Supply, that I’ve been waning for some time.
I thought the little X’s and O’s would be cute in miniature “bite size”. So I used the smallest scalloped square in my set, I also had a small heart, but no circle…….when I discovered that one of my jumbo pastry tips would be the perfect size and it could double as a “cookie cutter”
Perfect! but I should tell you, a round tip would have been smarter, and less painful, than my french tip.
These sweet cookies would be great to give or share with someone you love!
Butter Cookie Recipe
Butter Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract (use clear vanilla if you want a pure white icing)
- 1/4 tsp. almond extract
- 3-4 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream (approximately)
- gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Beat water and meringue powder until stiff peaks form.
- Add shortening, sugar, and extracts and whip for 3 minutes.
- Add milk or cream to thin
- Store well covered.
Notes
Decorate cookies and leave to “dry” for 24 hours. You can then stack and store in air tight container.
(adapted from Karen’s Cakes)
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http://tidymom.net/2011/valentines-day-cookies-with-buttercream-frosting-recipe/
Bakers Notes:
I would still like to play with this recipe, it was WAY to thick to pipe, so I added a little cream and milk, but I think you could start off by increasing the water, then add a little milk if still needed. You want the icing to be pretty thick, not runny or ” flood” like.
Edited: next time I’m going to try Amanda’s crusting buttercream recipe
Everyone in our house has enjoyed these as much as the royal icing!
ENJOY!!
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Thanks for sharing an alternative to traditional sugar cookies and royal icing!!! Will have to try sometime!!! Love the X’s and O’s!
That’s great! Thanks so much for sharing. I love cookies and am continually looking for new recipes to try. Looking forward to trying it!
Fantastic job and recipes and I love them to pieces!! LOL at the French tip…. I have so been there and know what you mean!!
These are adorable Cheryl! I love them!
So cute!!!
Yum! There’s nothing I love more than a good old fashioned butter cookie with buttercream frosting
Love. I get lots of requests for buttercream but I just don’t know anything about it. And Hehehe, I did the smart thing with the same tip…it never occurred to me jot to use the pointy one, lol. These are great!
is there an alternative to the meringe powder? If not where can I find it?
Thanks!
the meringue powder is what makes it “crust” or get a little hard, so you can stack them.
you can but it on Amazon, most craft supply stores, even WalMart, or a baking supply store
I use Buttercream all the time to frost my cookies. These are so cute too!! Great job.
Your cookies look fantastic! I am definitely going to try that buttercream frosting! Thanks!
Yummy! These turned out really cute. I always use buttercream frosting on my cutout sugar cookies.
I use the recipe in my BHG cookbook.
These are all so sweet and I must say, you have a ton of patience to decorate so many tiny cookies!
Wow…these are so beautiful. I’m sure it is so fun to make, especially play with the icing. Perfect as a gift.
I’m going to have to give these a try….that buttercream sounds wonderful! I love your cookie assortment!
And too funny about the star tip!
What a nice idea to frost the cookies with buttercream, they look great! I’m bookmarking this for the next time I make cut-out cookies.
Oh YUM – what more can I say …..
Love these! Though I do love to decorate with royal, I definitely prefer the taste of buttercream! Yum
I am just loving these! The first time I decorated cookies was for one of the Daring Baker challenges last year…I really need to make them again!!
Oh my goodness Cheryl, you are killing my diet here! My tummy is growling and it will only be satisfied with cookies apparently.
Yum!!
really pretty, just perfect for Valentine’s day. Lots of hugs and kisses!
wow they are tiny cookies! couldn’t tell from the pic at first! i <3 anything tiny
Cheryl, these are so darn cute! I must ask: what do you do with so many treats? Are your neighbors the happiest people in the world?
Those look fabulous! I believe I will get messy with my daughter and try them out!
Thanks!
Kellie from Women’s Life Link
You had sooooo much fun with these cookies!! Love your passion, drive and happiness, always
xo
So sweet, and I love how you used the back of a tip to cut out the cookies. Brilliant!
Your cookies look amazing! So yummy!
I love this idea because I am still intimidated by royal icing.
This I think I could get away with! They are SO cute!!!
Visiting from Tatertots & Jello. Using pastry tips as cookie cutters — how clever. Thanks for sharing.
These are so darn cute! You did a great job on these cookies.
These are freaking adorable, Cheryl! I LOL’d about you using the pointed tip. I totally would have done the same thing.
Sweet! This are so cute Cheryl!