Go Back
–+ servings
Print

Copycat Heart Cookies with Cinnamon Icing

A copycat recipe for a California bakery favorite. Dense and delicious heart-shaped sugar cookies covered with sweet cinnamon icing.
Course Dessert
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 30
Calories 156kcal
Author Tracy

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

Superfine sugar, AKA caster sugar is NOT powdered sugar. It is sugar with finer granules than regular granulated sugar and can usually be found in your grocery store's baking aisle in a box or can be ordered from Amazon. If you don't have superfine sugar, you can easily make your own by running regular granulated sugar through your blender or food processor for about 30 seconds.
Small-batch Instructions: To cut this recipe in half, just use one whole egg. The cookies won’t be quite as tender, but this way you don’t have to cut an egg in half.
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.

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal