Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, I feel most people either love it or hate it. My theory is it probably has to do with the season of life you’re in. I used to hate February 14th, (especially when I was single), feeling like it was a commercialized holiday for retailers and restaurants to get more money. (Is that a more cynical approach to this holiday? Hmmm…)

However, since getting married and having kids, Valentine’s Day has become one of my favorite holidays. To me, it is celebrating family, letting my husband and kids know how much I love and care for them. For the past few years, I have given each kid a card with a hand-written note inside. It is usually accompanied by Valentine sugar cookies and one of their favorite homemade dinners, which seems to change each year, haha. That’s okay. I like variety.

This year’s Valentine sugar cookies are gnomes and hearts. When I made these cookies, I was a little nervous about the green. However, I think they add a nice complement to the pinks. It’s bright, let me tell you!

If you’d like to make these cookies, here is what you’ll need:

Americolors:

-electric green

-white

-dusty rose

-ivory

-light pink

Cookie Cutters:

-gnome SweetleighPrinted

-plaque Shey B

-hearts 3D Cookie Cutter Shop

-rose Cut It Out Cutters

-mason jar Shey B

-latte cup (from my local decorating supply store)

A few tips for you:

1. Make the gnome nose when the icing is mostly set. That way, it has a lesser chance of it cratering than when it is fully dry.
2. To make the hearts on the latte cups, when the pink icing is wet, use white flood icing and make small dots all over the cup. Take a small toothpick or scribe and draw a line down the middle of the circle. This will create the heart shape. (This is the same technique for the mini pink hearts that have small hearts around the border. )
3. The lid on the mason jar is Sterling Pearl light silver from The Sugar Art. Mix it with a bit of vodka and paint it on when the icing is fully dry.
4. For the gnome name, I used my KopyKake projector. I am not that good at free hand. The rest of the lettering I hand wrote with an edible marker.

If you’re local, I am offering a class on how to make these as well as a pre-sale if you’d like to buy some sugar cookies for your loved ones. You can click the link here to find out more. Thanks and happy baking! xoxo