Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies

Cookie Ingredients (Yields 12 Cookies)
– 24 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 cup), softened
– 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
– 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
– 1 large egg
– 2 large egg yolks
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
– 1 teaspoon kosher salt
– 3-1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
– 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
– 2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Royal Icing Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup pasteurized egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gel food coloring of your choice (I recommend pink or red)
Water (as needed)
Pink sanding sugar (optional)

Baking Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese with an electric hand mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes (until fluffy and the sugar is mostly dissolved). Scrape down the bowl as needed to evenly beat the mixture.

2. Add the egg, egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

3. Add the salt. Then, sift the flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar into the bowl and fold to incorporate some of the flour. Next, beat on low speed, until incorporated and the dough comes together.

4. Shape the dough into a flat disc and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or up to 3-4 days for best results).

5. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the cookie dough with a rolling pin to a quarter inch thickness. Dip heart shaped cookie cutters in some extra flour and cut out shapes from the dough. Gather any excess dough into a ball and chill in the fridge to firm. Then, re-roll and cut out more cookies.

7. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and chill for at least 20 minutes to ensure they hold their shape.

8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges just starting to turn golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool them completely on a wire rack before decorating them with royal icing.

9. To make the royal icing, sift the powdered sugar into a medium mixing bowl and add the salt. On one side of the bowl, add the vanilla and egg whites.

10. Where you added the liquids, begin whisking the powdered sugar into the liquids, gathering a bit more as you whisk to prevent lumps from forming (until all of the powdered sugar is incorporated). Add pink food coloring, if desired, and whisk to incorporate. You can divide the icing into smaller bowls to make more than one color. If you want the frosting to be looser to flood or dip your cookies, add a few tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.

11. Place your royal icing in a piping bag or a squeeze bottle. If you do not have either, you can use a Ziploc bag and cut one corner open (after you fill it) to use it as a piping bag.

12. Use your royal icing to form an outline of a heart on top of each cookie (about a quarter inch away from the edge of the cookie) and immediately fill the outline with more royal icing. Lastly, add pink sanding sugar on the royal icing before it hardens, if desired.

13. Allow the royal icing to harden at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours. Do not refrigerate the cookies to harden the royal icing, as that can cause the royal icing to crack. The looser it is, the longer it will take to harden.

14. Serve and enjoy!