These cookies are actually pretty easy to make despite how they look and they will surely make a terrific impression on your receiver. This is also one of the best sugar cookie recipes with icing that can be made to ship. So if you want to surprise your aunt or friend in Kalamazoo, these are the cookies to make. Just let them sit for about 24 after you have decorated them and then you can wrap and ship them.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Cream sugar and butter until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to butter mixture. Mix well.
• Put a handful of the freshly made dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to desired thickness. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Put the rolled dough, including the parchment paper, on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer. Your dough will be chilled and ready to cut and bake with now wait and no added flour! Repeat with scraps after cutting cookies.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 8 -10 minutes. Let cool.

*Puzzle Cookie Cutter from Amazon.com

Royal Icing

Ingredients:
• 1 pound confectioners sugar, sifted
• 5 tablespoons meringue powder
• 1/2 cup of water, and more if needed

• Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 7 to 10 minutes. If icing is too thick, add more water. If too thin, beat icing 2 to 3 minutes more. Add just a drop of red or pink icing, mix until you get the desired color.
• Begin piping the the cookie around the edges and then slowly fill in. Once the layer has set (about 30 min,) you can then add the names or decorate further.

These are the most awesome Valentine Cookies I have ever tried and the butter icing makes them sinfully deliciously. Make them extra unique by writing out your words of love on them, make fun designs, or just sprinkle some sugary crystals or sprinkles on top. Just a note that these are not super sugar-y like standard sugar cookies but make perfect cookies for frosting.

Valentine Cookies Ingredients

* 7 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/2 cups shortening
* 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 cup milk
* 3 eggs

Butter Icing for Valentine Cookies

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
3 drops red food coloring
sugar decorations or sprinkles if desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Slowly beat in shortening. Once the shortening is well blended, stir vanilla extract, milk, and then eggs into the dough.
Roll out dough onto a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin. Roll the dough thick. Cut out cookies with cookie cutter and arrange them on a baking sheet sheet.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or just until bottom is golden. You want the cookies soft and chewy not crispy.
4. Once cookies are cooled frost with butter icing and add sprinkles, candies, or other fun treats!

Keep the cookies in an air tight container and they will last about 5 days. The cookie recipe makes about 40-48 cookies depending on size and you can adjust the frosting amount as needed.