Conversation Heart Cookies

For the cookies:

-2 cups of all purpose flour

-1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

-1/4 teaspoon of salt

-1/2 cup of unsalted butter; room temperature

-1 cup of granulated sugar

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 

For the royal icing:

-1 large egg white

-1 1/2 cups of confectioner’s sugar

-1/2 lemon; juiced and strained

For the cookies:

In a large bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt and combine by whisking. In a separate bowl, add butter and sugar and mix until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture to cream, mixing until consistent throughout. Divide dough in half and form into flat disks. Cover dough and reserve in freezer for at least twenty minutes. Preheat oven to 325˚. Remove frozen dough and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Roll out disks until they are about 1/8 inch thick. With a cookie cutter, cut heart shapes from dough and place on two baking trays lined with parchment paper. Allow to sit for an additional ten minutes before baking for 10-20 minutes or until slightly golden and firm.

 

For the royal icing:

In a medium-sized bowl, add egg whites and powdered sugar, mixing for about five minutes or until becoming shiny. Add lemon juice and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are completely combined and icing is light and fluffy. Insert frosting into a piping bag and squeeze onto sugar cookies.