Valentine Heart Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies

• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg (60g), cold
• 2½ cups (350g) plain flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon bi-carb soda

Royal Icing (Makes 1 cup)

• 3 cups (400g) icing sugar
• 2 egg whites, (from 60g eggs)
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• Food colouring, as needed
• Rolled fondant, optional
• Cachous and sprinkles, optional

Special Equipment

• Breville bench mixer

Method

For the cookies

1. Combine butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a Breville bench mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low to combine, then increase speed to medium and beat until fluffy and light, about 5 minutes, scraping down sides as needed.
2. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until smooth.
3. Add flour and mix on low speed until just combined. Shape dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough until firm but still pliable, about 30 minutes.
4. On a floured surface, roll dough 6mm thick. Using a 7.5cm) heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 6 cookies and transfer to a lined baking pan, spacing cookies about 2.5cm apart.
5. Insert wire rack in bottom rack position. Select COOKIES/160°C/CONVECTION/ 11 minutes and press START to preheat oven.
6. Bake until cookies are set and lightly golden around the edges, about 11 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking.
7. Let cookies cool completely on the baking pan before transferring to a wire rack for icing.
8. Repeat with remaining cookies.

For the icing

1. Sift icing sugar into a medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Add food colouring to desired colour. Pipe or spread onto cookies. Alternatively roll out rolled fondant to decorate cookies. Add sprinkles and cachous as desired.
2. Let icing set completely before storing cookies, layered with baking or wax paper, in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.

Tip

Cut all cookies (gathering scraps and re-rolling dough as needed) while the first batch bakes. Keep refrigerated, layered with baking paper and covered with plastic wrap, until ready to bake.