Slice and Bake Valentine's Day Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Red or pink food coloring we used this natural food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1 Add butter, sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer). Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. 2 Add in eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.
3. 3 In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
4. 4 Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3-4 batches, until the dough comes together. If the dough is too wet, add in an additional 1-2 tbsp of flour as needed. (This can depend on the size of your eggs, etc.)
5. 5 Remove about 1/2-2/3 of the dough and set aside. Add several drops of food coloring to the remaining dough and mix until combined. Add more food coloring to reach desired hue.
6. 6 Place the pink dough in the freezer for 5 minutes, then roll out into a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Return to the freezer for 20 minutes. This will make it much easier to cut out the hearts without ruining their shape.
7. 7 Use a small heart cookie cutter (roughly 1.5" across) to cut out hearts. Dip a finger in a little bit of water and lightly rub on the floured side of the cookie before adhering another heart. This helps them stick together, but don’t overdo the water, you only need a tiny amount. Repeat with all hearts until you have a log about 10-inches long.
8. 8 Return the log to the freezer for at least 30 minutes, or until frozen solid. Remove from freezer and press the plain cookie dough directly onto and around the hearts. Make sure to really press it in so you don’t end up with any gaps. Roll into a smooth log.
9. 9 Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
10. 10 Preheat oven to 350˚F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
11. 11 When you’re ready to bake, slice the dough into 1/4” rounds, then space 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for ~12 minutes, or until the bottoms are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.

NUTRITION

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.1 gg | Protein: 3.9 gg | Fat: 12.6 gg | Fiber: 0.7 gg | Sugar: 16.8 gg