Baking Valentine Heart Sugar Cookies Together

Do you love baking? Do you let your kids bake with you?

This weekend I wanted to bake Valentine heart shaped sugar cookies. I didn’t get a chance to bake any sugar cookies during Christmas time, so I wanted to do it for Valentine’s Day.

I didn’t want to bake alone; I wanted my girls to join me. I wrote recently about making memories in the kitchen with my girls. I feel baking with my girls is very important. I get to teach them all about baking and hopefully encourage them to have the love for baking as I do.

Making Sugar Cookie Dough

I asked my girls who was ready to help me bake sugar cookies. Sophia was the first one who was ready to help with the cookie batter. She got all excited. Sophia washed her hands and put on her apron and chef hat. Katie wasn’t ready at first, but in the middle of making the cookie dough, she was ready to help. Then Elizabeth decided to join in too.

My husband brought out his camera and took pictures of our girls and I making the cookies. Katie and Sophia had lots of fun helping and Elizabeth enjoyed watching the mixer mix the cookie dough. Towards the end, she fell asleep in my arms (it was nap time). Katie and Sophia got to lick the beater and spatula, which is one of their favorite things to do.

Baking Sugar Cookies

The next day it was time to bake the sugar cookies. Katie, Sophia, and Elizabeth all took turns using the rolling pin to roll out the cookie dough. Elizabeth didn’t want Sophia to take a turn after she went. Everyone had fun helping me roll the cookie dough and use the cookie cutters. Someone may have tried (and succeeded) to eat some cookie dough.

We cut out three big heart cookies (one for each of them) and several different other sizes. I baked them separately so they would all bake evenly. I was able to make 16 cookies in the batch of sugar cookies (using the four different heart shapes). We shared the 16th cookie to taste test.

Making Pink Frosting

While they were relaxing on the couch, I made the frosting and added red dye to turn the frosting pink. The recipe I used called for 2 cups of powder sugar, but I used 3 cups since I wanted the frosting thicker.

Decorating Sugar Cookies

Later that afternoon, my girls got to decorate their own big heart sugar cookie. I brought out the frosting and they each had their own butter knife to spread the frosting on their cookie all by themselves. They enjoyed licking the frosting a little bit as they were adding the frosting. Then they got to add a variety of sprinkles on top of their cookies. And the best part at the end – they got to eat their cookies – most of it. They’re saving the rest for later.

Below are my recipes for my soft sugar cookies and a frosting to go with the sugar cookies.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen (will vary depending on size)
Refridgerate: overnight
Oven temp: 400 degrees
Baking time: 8-10 minutes

Recipe Source

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions:

In separate mixing bowl, add flour and baking powder; mix and set aside.
In bowl of mixer, beat egg.
Add sugar, melted butter, and vanilla; mix until blended.
Alternate between flour mix and buttermilk; add to mixer and blend each time (start with flour and end with flour).
Scrap sides of bowl and mix until well combined.
Cover mixer bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
Once you’re ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Sprinkle surface with flour.
Roll batter into a ball and sprinkle any extra flour as needed to the dough so it’s not sticky.
Roll out cookie dough onto floured surface; leaving dough 1/4 in thick.
Use cookies cutter of your choice and place on a baking pan with a silicon liner (or parchment liner).
Bake shapes of the similar size on one pan to insure the cookies are evenly baked.
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes (smaller cookies 5-6 minutes).
Remove cookies from oven and place on wire rack immediately.
Cool completely before putting into a container.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

Yield: 4-5 cups

Inspirational Source

Ingredients:

1/3 cups butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1/4 – 1/2 tsp vanilla
2-3 cups powder sugar (depending on how thick you want it)

Directions:

Beat butter in mixer.
Add milk and vanilla to mixer.
Mix in powder sugar about 1/2 cup at a time.
Leave frosting white or add dye (such as red) to change the color.
Place frosting in a container and place in fridge until ready to frost the sugar cookies.

What do you think of how my heart sugar cookies turned out? My girls sure had fun making these cookies. Do you think your kids would have fun making these heart sugar cookies

This post is part of a post series called Meals in the Kitchen, which is on the subject of food. I’ll talk about my love for food to sharing recipes that I love cooking to food tips.