Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies

It wouldn't be Valentine’s Day without conversation heart candies. Let's be honest; they are a bit of an acquired taste. But you know what everyone loves? Cookies! So we teamed up with the lovely and talented Bridget Edwards from Bake at 350 to make a Valentine's treat that combines the fun of conversation heart candies with the yumminess of sugar cookies.

These Conversation Heart Cookies are super easy to make so even if you don't have a ton of cookie decorating experience, you should be able to master these. You’ll need:

• 1 recipe Classic Sugar Cookies
• 1 recipe Royal Icing
• Heart-shaped cookie cutters
• Gel paste food coloring: white, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and green
• Piping bags
• Icing tip: #2 (or #3)
• Squeeze bottles, such as used for candy making
• Toothpicks
• Red food coloring pen

Start by baking the cookies and letting them cool to room temperature. While the cookies are cooling, you can make the Royal Icing. Divide the icing into bowls and tint using the gel paste coloring. Press plastic wrap down onto the icing to prevent crusting.

Spoon some of each color icing into piping bags fitted with #2 tips. Outline each cookie. Thin the remaining icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes. Stir gently with a spatula to pop any air bubbles that might have formed. Pour into squeeze bottles.

Fill in the outlines with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to edges and pop large air bubbles. Let the iced cookies dry uncovered for 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Once the icing is completely dry, use the food coloring marker to add sayings to the cookies. You can copy conversation heart sayings or feel free to personalize with your own messages. Once you're done, package up to give to someone you love. Have a sweet Valentine’s Day!

 Sweethearts® Conversation Heart Candies are a registered trademark of NECCO®.  

PIN IT NOW