How adorable are these heart sugar cookies!!?  The way you pipe the icing is what makes these cookies pop! This sugar cookie recipe is definitely a classic that we all love, however instead of icing them with royal icing, we made a lovely thick and creamy buttercream frosting. We had fun with different shades of muted pinks and burgundy red, as well as using multiple sizes of open star piping tips to create the piped hearts on the cookies. You might need to practice a couple times on your parchment paper before you master these fun piped hearts on your cookies. Have fun and enjoy this weekend with the ones you love! 

Simple Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Inactive time: 2 hours
Bake time: 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookie
Makes: 8-12 medium-sized cut out cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup (175 mL) sugar
¼ cup (60mL) light brown sugar
1 large egg at room temperature
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds removed or 2 teaspoons(10 mL) vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon (2 mL) salt
½ teaspoon (2 mL) baking powder

1. 1. In your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and both sugars on high for 3 minutes. Add in the egg and mix well, scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is being properly incorporated.
3. 2. Add in the seeds from the vanilla bean or the vanilla extract.
5. 3.  Sift all the dry ingredients together, add into the mixer and mix on low speed until the dough comes together. (Bring the dough together with your hands.)
7. 4. Divide the dough into two equal parts, flatten the dough to ½ inch thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap.
9. 5. Chill for 2-3 hours or overnight. 
11. 6. Preheat your over to 350 °F (180° C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge.
13. 7. Working with one disk at a time, on a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick (I like to roll out the dough on parchment paper). Cut out desired shapes and transfer onto the prepared baking sheet spacing a ½ inch between cookies.
15. 8. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until slightly golden brown on around the edges (less time for smaller cut cookies) Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before transferring to a rack to cool completely before icing.

Note: Keep like-sized cookies together for even baking times, reduce baking times for smaller cookies.
*This recipe can be doubled without any issues.

Thick and Creamy Vanilla Frosting (makes 4 cups)
5 cups sifted icing sugar
1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup whipping cream
1-2 tsp vanilla extract
Gel food colouring – we used white, peach, red-red, burgundy to create the colours
Open Star Piping tips

1. 1. Place the butter in your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream until fluffy, add in half the icing sugar and mix on low speed to incorporate, slowly add the remaining icing sugar. Cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy (make sure to scrape down the sides).

2. Add in the vanilla extract and whipping cream, mix on medium-high for another 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

3. Use small bowls to divide the icing up and create different colours. Disposable piping bags always come in handy when making multiple colours of icing.

Pipe and have fun!

These cookies will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can always freeze unbaked cookies for up to 3 months as well as baked (non-iced) cookies too!