How-to Make Soft

(and Snazzy) Sugar Cookies

for Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and what better sweet treat to
make for your special someone than cookies? Follow these step-by-step in-
structions for the softest and snazziest sugar cookies you’ve ever tasted!

Ingredients: Supplies:
Dough Oven
3 cups all-purpose flour Electric mixer, bowl, and paddle
2 teaspoons baking powder attachment
1 teaspoon baking soda 1 Medium bowl
1 teaspoon salt 2 small bowls
½ cup shortening Spatula
1 cup sugar Fork
2 large eggs Heart-shaped cookie dough cutters
1 cup sour cream Cookie sheet
1 teaspoon vanilla extract Parchment paper
Rolling pin
Icing Wax paper
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening Cooling rack
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter or Icing bag and accompanying tips
margarine Butter knife
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
Pink and red food coloring
Cookie Dough
First, we’ll start by making the cookie dough!
1. In your medium bowl, combine the flour, baking
powder, baking soda and salt. Be sure to stir well with
a fork so the ingredients are completely mixed.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle
attachment, beat the shortening and sugar together
on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy. This
should take about five minutes.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well (for
about 1 minute) after each addition. Scrape down the
sides of the mixer with your spatula after each egg.
4. Add in the sour cream and vanilla and blend to-
gether until creamy. This should take around
2 minutes.
5. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingre-
dients (I add it ⅓ at a time) mixing just until incorpo-
rated and evenly mixed.
6. You will have a very sticky dough at this point so it
is very important to CHILL THE DOUGH FOR AT
LEAST 1-2 HOURS. This is the hardest part because
who wants to wait! Transfer your dough to the medi-
um bowl (to free up the bowl for the electric mixer),
cover with saran wrap, and place in the fridge. Set a
timer for an hour and a half and the time will pass
fast because now it’s time to start on the icing!
Icing
1. In your bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment, beat shortening and butter until
light and fluffy. I usually beat for around 5 minutes
just to make sure the mixture is as fluffy and airy as
possible!
2. Beat in vanilla.
3. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well
on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl
with your spatula often. When all sugar has been
mixed in, your icing will appear dry.
4. Gradually add milk, beating on medium speed
until light and fluffy.
5. Beat for two minutes to make sure all ingredients
are mixed well.
6. Divide your icing into three different bowls. Put
1-2 drops of red food coloring into one bowl and stir
with a spoon until the coloring is well mixed. Put 1-2
drops of pink food coloring into another bowl and
repeat. Leave one bowl plain white.
7. Cover your bowls of icing with foil, saran wrap, or
even a tea towel to keep it moist while you roll out
your cookies!
Rolling out the Dough
After the dough has chilled, the rest is about technique. Follow these steps (and
tips) closely to make sure your cookies come out PERFECT!
1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Divide the cookie dough into two portions, leaving one half in the fridge
while you work with first half. Roll out one section at a time. It’s easier to work
with a smaller piece.
4. Tape down two large sections of wax paper to your table or flat surface. This
is where you’ll be rolling out the dough.
5. Cover the wax paper with a generous amount of flour. You want to make
sure there’s enough to cover the entire ball of dough as you roll it out to avoid
sticking issues.
6. Place the cookie dough ball in the middle of your flour-covered wax paper
and start to roll it out with your rolling pin. Tip: make sure you flour your roll-
ing pin as well. Be careful not to roll the dough too thin. I shoot for just a little
over ¼” thick. Also, don’t work the dough TOO much or it will get tough!
7. Flour your heart-shaped cookie cutters and cut out as many as you can with
the dough you’ve rolled out.
8. Once you have cut out as many shapes as will fit, scoop them off the board
with a spatula and transfer to your cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Tip: it helps if you nudge a little bit of flour under the cookie as you lift it off the
board.
9. Bake the cookies for between 10 and 12 minutes. Timing is CRUCIAL, so
keep an eye on them! You are shooting for cookies that are just BARELY, BARE-
LY starting to brown on the edges.
10. Once you remove the cookies from the oven, carefully transfer them to a
cooling rack with your spatula. If you don’t have a cooling rack, spread wax
paper or parchment paper out on a flat surface and transfer your cookies there.
11. Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting!
Frosting the Cookies
Now that you already have your icing made and separated into different colors,
you’re ready to start the frosting process!
1. First, take your pastry bag, fit it with a coupler, and firmly screw on the icing
tip you want your piping to be.
2. Fold down the sides of your bag.
3. Decide which color icing you want to use to write on your cookies with.
4. Using a spatula, scoop the icing into the bag, gently pushing the icing down
to the bottom, or tip, of the bag. Fill the bag a little over halfway, leaving room
at the top for your hand to hold it as you ice the cookies.
5. Twist the bag at the top (as shown in picture) and firmly squeeze a test-drop
of icing out of the bag (onto a plate or piece of wax paper) to ensure you’ve got-
ten the air bubble out of the bag. Now your bag is ready to use!
6. You will use your two remaining icing colors to ice the cookies. Simply ice
them with a butter knife by taking a small amount and spreading it onto your
cookies. Add sprinkles for extra decoration!
7. Pipe the icing onto your cookies however you want and HAVE FUN!! (And
try not to eat all of the icing before it makes it onto the cookies!)
8. ENJOY!! And Happy Valentine’s Day!