These Heart Cookies with Cinnamon Icing are a copycat recipe inspired by my favorite California bakery. Dense and delicious heart-shaped sugar cookies covered with sweet cinnamon icing for Valentine’s Day and everyday.
There’s a very famous bakery in my home town of Bakersfield known for their amazing cookies and donuts. To be completely honest, they might just be the best thing about the city. Every kid growing up there knows the distinct pleasure of seeing their teacher or a room parent walk into the classroom with one of their white bakery boxes with red lettering on the top and knowing that they are in for a treat. When I went away to college, the two things I most often asked my parents to send me were money (because obvs) and their cookies.
The best time of year to visit the bakery is around Valentine’s day because it is the only time they sell their signature heart cookies. These things are so good, dense sugar cookies covered in bright red icing with the most amazing bite of cinnamon to them. I’m not usually one to make copycat recipes (unless they fall into my lap like the Better Than Starbucks Caramel Macchiato) but since these are only available seasonally and I am not always in Bakersfield, I decided I was going to figure these babies out.
And I did…mostly. The cookies here are even more delicious than I though possible. The base is dense but slightly crumbly, not crunchy, but not overly soft (you should have seen the keywords I put into google trying to describe the type of dough I was looking for).
The icing is where the recipe differs a little. I’m almost 100% sure the original uses cinnamon extract because they have a spicier and more exaggerated cinnamon flavor than these, but I couldn’t easily find cinnamon extract at the stores around town and I hate posting recipes that require people to order ingredients they will only use once, so my icing is made with ground cinnamon. And you know what? I might even like this stuff more.
I cannot recommend these cookies enough. Beyond being delicious, the dough is simple to make and the icing (after an overnight rest) dries hard, so they are perfect for gifting as valentines.
I’m not saying that these are going to replace the originals in my life, because nothing ever will, but they are perfect substitutions for when you are living far away and your terrible, horrible, no-good parents won’t send you any because they just sent you a care package the week before, and they’re saying things like, “God, Tracy, no one needs this many cinnamon sugar cookies. We don’t care if you are sharing them. It’s an obsession and we worry about you…”
Looking for more of my favorite sweet treats? Try these Small-batch Chocolate Chip Cookies, Perfect Lemon Bars, and Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes.
Copycat Heart Cookies with Cinnamon Icing
Ingredients
Cookies
- 1 cup (8oz) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (200g) superfine sugar*
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg plus 1 yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose flour
Cinnamon Icing
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 20-30 drops red food coloring
Instructions
Cookies
- Using a stand mixer on medium speed, cream butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. This should take about 3 minutes and you will see the mixture noticeably lighten in color. Since this recipe contains no baking soda or powder, you want to make sure not to skimp on this step.
- Add the whole egg, mix and then the yolk and vanilla, beating until fully incorporated.
- Add flour, mixing on low until just combined. Don't over mix!
- Divide dough into two parts and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. (I lay the wrap on the counter, scoop the dough on to it and wrap.) Refrigerate for AT LEAST an hour, up to 48 hours in order to firm up the dough. This step cannot be skipped or short cut. Your dough should feel firm and not sticky when it's ready to be rolled. If you try to work with it before it is chilled properly, your cookies will stick. If it is very warm outside, or your butter very soft when you started, chilling may take more than an hour.
- Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Dust work station and rolling pin with with flour and roll dough out to 3/8-inch thick. Don't be afraid to use more flour as you go if things start to stick. Cut into hearts using a 3-inch cookie cutter and transfer to prepared baking sheets with a spatula.
- Refrigerate for 15 minutes to re-firm up cookies. This will stop them from spreading in the oven. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake until cookies are just golden on the bottom edges, 9-12 minutes (more if you used larger cookie cutters). Allow to cool completely before icing.
Icing
- In a medium bowl, wide enough to easily fit your cookies, stir together powdered sugar, cinnamon, milk, and vanilla until smooth. It might seem like it's not going to mix, but it will. Just keep stirring. Do not add more liquid!
- Add corn syrup and food coloring and mix well. Your icing should be thin enough that if you run a knife through it, the liquid fills back in the gap in 8-10 seconds. Depending on how much food coloring you use, you may need to add a bit more milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time. Be careful with this step! If you use too much milk, your icing will not set.
- Dip the cookies to ice and scrape the excess off with a knife or the side of the bowl. If you have any air bubbles, you can pop them with a tooth pick.
- Icing will dry enough to eat in under an hour, but allow to dry for at least four hours before stacking or packing.
Notes
Make-ahead Instructions: Dough can be made and kept in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before rolling and baking.
Freezer Instructions: These cookies freeze well in an air-tight container and will keep for up to 2 months.
Nutritional Information (30 cookies)
Cookies adapted from: Karen’s Cookies
Cinnamon icing adapted from: AllRecipes
Charline Mc Clure says
Haven’t tried them yet. Tomorrow. I live a million miles from anywhere with a store buffer than a mini mart, but when I get to town, I am going to hit Walmart. They have cinnamon oil in the baking section. In the mean time, I am going to experiment with red hots. ☺️
Tracy says
Hope you enjoy them, Charline!!
Antonie says
Thank you for this, I am also from Bakersfield but I now live in Vegas so I miss this bakery everyday lol. It will be my first time making sugar cookies and I wanted something to remind me of home. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Tracy says
Because of current events, it’s been a while since I’ve been home, so I miss it too!! They’ll be one of my first stops when I go back. LOL I hope you enjoy the cookies, Antonie!!!
Lilly says
Thank you for this recipe I am going to try these. I grew up in Lamont and I now live in the SF Bay Area. all my siblings live in Bakersfield now. When they come to visit they know to bring me some smiths cookies, hearts and/or smiley face.
Thank You.
Judith says
I grew up in Bakersfield, too. I get it. I haven’t lived there for 40+ years but I still crave their Valentine (and smiley face, and, and) cookies. Any time there is a Bako gathering Smiths is the request! Thank you from me and from my grandchildren who will be getting these tomorrow!
(I have a beautiful photo, but can’t seem to post it on this thread).
Tracy says
I just saw the photo you uploaded on Pinterest. They’re beautiful!! I hope the grandkids enjoy them, Judith!!
Naomi says
Can you please post a link to the correct sugar for the icing; your specifications are confusing? Am I looking for superfine sugar or powdered sugar?
Tracy says
Hi, Naomi. It’s powdered sugar. I think I see what was confusing in the instructions, so I edited the recipe. Please let me know if it’s still not clear!
Lindsay Beavers says
I’m from Bakersfield too and I know exactly the bakery and exactly the cookie you are inspired by! That’s what I was looking to replicate too!!
Tracy says
Heeeey, fellow native!! 😉
Annemarie @ justalittlebitofbacon says
Now these are in my decorating skill set! And I have a bunch of heart-shaped cookie cutters. This might be a fun project for my daughter and I for Valentine’s.
Kathryn @ FoodieGirlChicago says
These look just like those awesome cookies you get in the grocery store however I’m sure they taste MUCH, MUCH better!!
Tracy says
Ha, thanks Kathryn!
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
These are super adorable! I love a good cutout cookie, especially when decorated so pretty!
Tracy says
Thank you, Patricia!
Kathy Hester says
These are gorgeous! I think the cinnamon icing would make them so special. I can’t wait to make them!
Tracy says
Thanks Kathy, they are so yummy. Let me know how they work out for you if you try them!
Christine | Vermilion Roots says
How adorable. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Tracy says
Thank you, Christine!
Platter Talk says
Our kids will love these for Valentines Day! Thanks so much for the wonderful idea!
Tracy says
Thanks. I hope they enjoy them!
Diana says
I am dying to try this recipe! I’m from Bakersfield and my parents still mail these special cookies to me from my favorite bakery! Their valentine day cookies are the best because of the cinnamon frosting…..so excited to make these next week, thanks for sharing!
Tracy says
I’m in the same boat. I still make my parents mail me their cookies every now and then. They’re just so good! 🙂