Heart Shaped Butter Cookies (Piped)

Why I Like This Recipe

• Easy to customize. Add different extracts, dip in chocolate, or add sprinkles.
• Simple ingredients. You only need a few ingredients to make these buttery cookies.
• No chill recipe. There is no need to chill the dough; it bakes up beautifully on its own!
• Cookies stay crispy for days. The cookies will crisp as they cool. You can enjoy them warm or cold — I prefer them cold because the flavors really shine through! They will stay crisp for a couple of days if stored in an airtight container, then soften slightly.

Tips and Tricks

• Use a LARGE open star piping tip. We're not piping frosting, we're piping cookie dough, so the tip that you use matters. You must use a LARGE open star tip. Here are two options. Wilton 2D: Grab a set of small pliers and straighten the prongs. This will make it an open-star tip. Ateco 826: This is a large open star. Ideal for piping the cookie hearts.
• Room temperature butter. Allow the butter to come to room temperature before using, as it will make the dough difficult to work with.
• Do not use parchment paper. I use parchment paper on my baking sheets 99% of the time when making cookies. The other 1% of the time is when I'm making piped butter cookies or homemade fortune cookies. Parchment paper is not your friend with these, and it will move around as you try to pipe the cookies. Use a Silpat liner (preferred) or an ungreased baking sheet.

Ingredients

• Butter: 2 sticks of salted butter. You can use unsalted, but I always use salted butter in my baking recipes. Make sure that your butter is at room temperature. You don't want chilled butter for this recipe. If the dough is cold it will be harder to pipe the cookies.
• Powdered sugar: yes, powdered sugar, not granulated.
• Vanilla extract
• Almond extract: if you don't like almond extract you can omit it and double the vanilla extract.
• All-purpose flour
• Milk: I don't use milk in my shortbread cookies because they are rolled out and cut with cookie cutters. However, since these cookies are piped, you'll need a few tablespoons to soften the dough.
• Food coloring: optional, but fun for making heart cookies.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Heart Shaped Butter Cookies

Step 1: Combine butter, powdered sugar, and extracts in a large bowl with an electric mixer until well combined and fluffy. Add milk and food coloring. Mix thoroughly. Add flour and mix until dough comes together.

Step 2: Fit a sturdy pastry bag (if using a disposable bag, double it up for strength) with a large star frosting tip. Add a few spoonfuls of cookie dough.

Note: DO NOT fill the bag more than ½ full. ⅓ full is ideal. Refill the bag as needed. 

Step 3: With firm pressure, pipe cookies into a "V" or heart shape on an ungreased baking sheet (or silpat-lined baking sheet). Space cookies 2" apart.

Remember: only fill the piping bag with a few spoonfuls of dough at a time. The warmth from your hands will soften the dough as you press, making it easier to pipe.

Step 4: Use your fingers to pinch the bottom of each cookie to smooth out the ends, if needed.

Step 5: Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes, then remove them from the baking sheets and place them on a wire cooling rack.

Step 6: Dip cookies in chocolate, if desired.

Step 7: Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add sprinkles. Allow cookies to set up. This recipe makes 42 (2-inch) cookies.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Cookies freeze well and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Heart Butter Cookies FAQs

More Heart Shaped Treats To Make

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