Valentine's Heart cookies (Eggless)
With Valentine's day around the corner, everybody's thought will be what to make, that will make the loved ones feel special. Who said valentine's day is only for couples? It is a day to showcase your love for the ones you love. Be it your parents, your partner, your children showcase your love towards them with a sweet recipe ❤️
~ Love makes life beautiful
~ Love makes the impossible possible
~ Love gives life a sparkle 💖
I can go on and on 😅 But let's focus on what to do this valentine's day. You all know love is symbolised with heart. What's more special that you can give your loved ones than this sweet, heart shaped treat ❤️.
When I saw this cookie for the first time, I totally fell in love with the pattern, the sparkle on the pink colour, and moreover the combination of pink and white itself.
Take a look for yourself and I assure you, you will also fall in love with these cookies without a doubt. And when you make this for your loved ones wouldn't they feel much loved and special? 🥰
Made with just the basic ingredients easily available in your pantry, you can get this cookie done easily. This can also be a last minute addition to your valentine's baking list. So, since I am convinced I have given you a great idea to make the day special, let us get to the recipe.
This is a fool proof recipe and follow it to the dot and I assure you, you will get a perfect, no spread, cut out cookies. Since I have used no leavening agent in the recipe, it ensures that the cookie doesn't spread or puff up much. This helps to retain a perfect shape, whichever shape you decide to cut out.
Next, to get the striped pattern, we need to prepare two separate cookie dough. One for the white sugar cookie and the other one for the pink sugar cookie. This will then be chilled, rolled out, cut out into stripes and arranged alternatively. They would then be rolled out again, chilled for sometime and then cut out into the desired shape. The process may sound lengthy, but don't fret, it can be easily done. Just follow the steps and instructions as given and you will end up with a beautiful cookie. Without anymore delay, let's get to the recipe now.
INGREDIENTS - Makes 28 - 30 cookies
I. WHITE SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH:
* All purpose flour - 120gms or 1 cup
* Caster sugar - 72gms or 1/4th cup + 1 tbsp
* Cold butter - 56 gms or 1/4th cup
* Vanilla - 1/2 tsp
* Water - 25ml or 1/8th cup
* Salt - 1/2 tsp
II. PINK SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH:
* All purpose flour - 120gms or 1 cup
* Caster sugar - 73gms
* Cold butter - 56 gms
* Vanilla - 1/2 tsp
* Water - 25ml
* Salt - 1/2 tsp
* Pink Sparkling sugar - 3 to 4 Tbsp
* Pink Gel food colour - a small drop
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR: I have used regular all purpose flour here. You can also use unbleached organic flour.
CASTER SUGAR: This is a recipe where we donot want to cream butter and sugar. It is important that we use caster sugar, because granulated sugar takes a long time to melt with the butter which means beating butter and sugar for a long time to combine. This process of beating for a long time will lead to incorporating air which will make the cookies puff up and spread, thereby compromising the shape of the cookies. So, make sure to use caster sugar. I have used homemade caster sugar. Read further to know how to make caster sugar at home.
COLD BUTTER: We use cold butter in this recipe to avoid incorporating air. If the butter is soft, it might infuse air while combining sugar and butter. Cold butter ensures sugar is combined well but also at the same time, takes time to incorporate air. This way, we can make sure the cut out cookies retain its shape well.
VANILLA: Vanilla is the flavour used in the recipe. I have also tried once with almond extract. That tastes good too. You can add whichever flavour you prefer.
WATER: Water is used to bind the ingredients. It also acts as an egg replacer. You can use normal, room temperature water.
SALT: Salt is used to balance the sweetness which we get from sugar. I always prefer using unsalted butter and then add salt at a later stage, thereby making sure I have control on the amount of salt added in the recipe.
PINK SPARKLING SUGAR: Pink Sparkling sugar is a beautiful, edible glittery sugar which is used to give that shine to the cookie. I have used homemade sparkling sugar. Please read the recipe further to know how to make sparkling sugar at home.
PINK GEL COLOUR: Gel colour is a highly concentrated colour solution. Use only a small drop to get that soft pink colour.
HOW TO MAKE CASTER SUGAR AT HOME?
* What is Caster sugar?
Caster sugar is also a form of granulated white sugar which is comparatively much finer than regular granulated sugar. Caster sugar helps the process of binding sugar with butter much quicker. The reason for using caster sugar in this recipe is that it makes the process of combining butter and sugar quicker, thereby making sure air is not incorporated into the mixture.
*How to make caster sugar at home?
The process of making caster sugar at home is very simple. All we need is regular granulated sugar and a blender.
In a blender take granulated sugar. Give pulse for just a few seconds. Mix it well. Repeat the process again. Do this for only a few times and check in between. The texture should be grainy but also not big granules. Take a look at the picture below for reference.
Caster sugar has a super fine texture when compared to granulated sugar. Make sure this texture is attained. It is important to note that we only need caster sugar for this recipe. You cannot replace it with regular granulated sugar. If caster sugar is not available, you can opt for powdered sugar. But remember powdered sugar will give chewy cookies.
HOW TO MAKE SPARKLING SUGAR AT HOME?
*What is Sparkling sugar?
Sparkling sugar is nothing but glittery edible sugar. It is usually used as a decorative ingredient. It can be used in cookies and cakes.
*How to make sparkling sugar?
To make sparkling sugar, all you need is granulated sugar and gel food colour of your preferred choice. Follow the below simple steps to make sparkling sugar within minutes.
Step 1: Into a ziploc cover or a small container with lid, take 2 to 3 TBSP of granulated sugar.
Step 2: Add just a small drop of gel colour of your choice.
Step 3: Using your fingers, slowly mix the gel colour along with sugar.
Step 4: Once the gel colour starts to bind with the sugar, close the lid of the container and shake it rigorously for 1 to 2 minutes.
Open the lid of the container to find beautiful looking, glittery Sparkling sugar. Use this in any recipe as a decor. This can also be drizzled on cream frosting to give that magical effect.
Now that we know how to make homemade caster sugar and sparkling sugar let us get to the step by step instructions on how to make this cookie.
STEP-BY-STEP PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION:
Part 1: WHITE SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH:
Step 1: Into a bowl take all purpose flour. Now, add the salt along with it. Mix it and set it aside.
Step 2: To another bowl, add cubed cold butter. Using a spatula smash it well to soften it up a little.
Step 3: Now add caster sugar to this butter. Combine them. Make sure not to mix them rigorously as it will incorporate air. Ensure they are just combined together.
Step 4: Once the butter and sugar are combined, add vanilla. Using a balloon whisk combine the vanilla with the butter sugar mixture.
Step 5: Now add room temperature water to this mixture and mix well. At this stage, after mixing water, it will look like curdled butter. This is because water acts like an egg replacer here.
Step 6: Now that the wet mixture is ready, take the flour and salt mix that was set aside earlier.
Step 7: Add the dry mix gradually, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, onto the wet mix. Mix them to combine. Repeat the process.
Step 8: Once the dry mix is completely added, use your hands to combine. Remember not to KNEAD or OVERMIX. Just combine.
Step 9: Once the dough is combined well, spread a sheet of cling wrap on the counter.
Step 10: Transfer the dough onto this cling wrap.
Step 11: Using your palms and fingers make the dough flatter.
Step 12: Cover the dough with cling wrap completely.
Refrigerate this dough for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you live in a humid place, chill it for a longer duration. This is to make sure the dough is firm. Firm dough makes it easy to work with, to cut out shapes.
Part 2: Pink Sugar cookie dough:
Step 1: Just like white sugar cookie dough, start with the dry ingredients, that is flour and salt. Mix them in a bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Into another bowl, add cubed cold butter. With the help of a spatula smash the butter gently to make it softer.
Step 3: Once the butter is softened, add caster sugar and combine. This might take a few minutes. But remember to do it gently as we do not want to incorporate air.
Step 4: After combining caster sugar with butter add vanilla and combine.
Step 5: It is now time to add food colour. Since we need soft pink colour, we need to add only a small drop of food colour. Remember that gel food colours are usually highly concentrated. Hence add only a small drop. Combine the colour with the wet mix using a spatula.
Step 6: It is now time to add room temperature water and mix well to combine.
Step 7: Now that the water is mixed well start adding the flour mixture that was set aside earlier.
Step 8: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time and start combining. The colour of the dough will start to turn lighter on adding the flour.
Step 8: Once all of the dry mix is added along with the wet mix, use your hands to combine it to form a dough. Remember not to OVERMIX or KNEAD the dough.
Step 9: After the dough is formed, spread a sheet of cling wrap on the counter. Transfer the dough onto the cling wrap.
Step 10: Use your hands to flatten the dough a little. Cover the dough completely with cling wrap and flatten the dough.
Just like the white sugar cookie dough, refrigerate this dough also for a minimum of 30 minutes. If you live in a humid place, chill it for a longer duration. Firm dough makes it easy to work with, to cut out shapes.
MAKING PINK AND WHITE STRIPED PATTERN:
After chilling both the dough for the said duration, it is now time to roll and flatten the dough. It is important to flatten the dough evenly. Also remember to roll the dough to 1/4th or 1/3rd inch thickness. Anything below this will make the cookie so hard and crunchy and if it is rolled thicker than this, it will lead to soft cookies.
Rolling the dough to 1/4th or 1/3rd inch thickness will ensure that the cookies are crunchy when baked but also not hard.
How to make the striped pattern?
Step 1: Take the white sugar cookie dough from the refrigerator. Take a parchment paper twice in length than the diameter of the dough.
Step 2: Fold the parchment paper right in the middle. Now place the dough in between the parchment paper.
Step 3: With the help of a rolling pin start rolling the dough evenly. You can use a scale to measure the thickness of the dough.
Step 4: Once the dough is rolled into the desired thickness, use a sharp knife to cut thin stripes.
Since my place was humid, I had to place the rolled out dough into the refrigerator for 15 minutes before cutting the stripes.
Remember, I am stressing it again here, only a firm dough will be easy to work with. If at any point your dough is sticky and soft, kindly stop working with it right away. Pop it into the refrigerator for a few minutes and once the dough turns firm start working with it again.
Step 5: Once you are confident that the dough is firm and that it will be easy to cut stripes, use a sharp knife and cut thin stripes evenly. You can also use a scale to measure the stripes.
Step 6: After cutting thin stripes on the white cookie dough, pop it into the refrigerator.
Repeat the process with pink cookie dough.
Once the pink cookie dough is rolled into the desired thickness it is now time to add the sparkling sugar.
Slowly drizzle the sparkling sugar on the rolled out pink cookie dough and with the help of a rolling pin, gently roll it so that the sugar gets stuck with the dough.
Then pop it into the refrigerator for a few minutes. After a few minutes cut thin stripes and place it in the refrigerator for a few more minutes.
Step 7: Now that both the dough are chilled, it is time make make the striped pattern.
Spread a parchment paper on the counter. Start placing one white cookie dough strip and one pink cookie dough strip. Repeat the process by alternating them.
Step 8: Once the stripes are placed, place a cling wrap on it and roll it slightly. This is just to ensure that the dough stripes placed are stuck together.
Step 9: It is now time to cut out shapes. Place a heart shaped cookie cutter on the dough and press it to form the shape. Repeat the process. Once the aligned striped dough are cut out, use a spatula or a palette knife to lift the cut out cookie dough.
Meanwhile, line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place these cut out cookie dough on the baking tray.
Remember that these cookies will not spread and so they can also be placed closely.
Step 10: Place this baking tray in the refrigerator and set the oven to preheat at 180°C for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, place the baking tray in the oven and bake at 180°C for 10 minutes.
Once baked, take the baking tray out of the oven and let the cookies sit for 5 to 10 minutes as they will still be soft. After 10 minutes transfer them onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Store it in an airtight container and this will be good to be consumed within 10 to 15 days.
NOTES:
1. Remember to use cold butter for this recipe, as we do not want to incorporate air.
2. Weather conditions vary in different regions and if you feel at any point the dough is sticky, pop it into the refrigerator before working further. A firm dough is needed to get a perfect cut out cookie.
3. Measuring cup used 1 Cup = 240ML
4. Using caster sugar is very important for this recipe. Try not to alternate it.
5. I have used vanilla essence as the flavour. You can substitute it with any other flavour of your choice.
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The detailed video recipe for this cookie and also a quick video recipe for the sparkling sugar will be posted very soon.
See you all very soon with another delicious, interesting recipe. Until then this is HARINI from The Theory of Bakin'. Happy Baking!!!
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