Katie Dishes All Her Tips And Tricks So You Look Like A Pro
These frosted Valentine’s sugar cookies look impossibly perfect, but with a few simple techniques you can recreate these beautiful treats at home. Katie, a retired grade school principal and enthusiastic home baker, shares approachable tips that turn a basic recipe into professional-looking cookies.
Why You’ll Love This Valentine’s Sugar Cookie Recipe
Katie calls herself a “newbie,” yet her method makes these cookies very doable. The dough is straightforward, the flavor is excellent, and the cookies hold their shape while baking so you can cut them into any fun shapes you like. Follow the extra steps Katie suggests and you’ll get consistent, attractive results every time.
How To Make Valentine’s Sugar Cookies
If the dough feels too soft or sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time and knead it in until the dough is easy to handle. Divide the dough into four equal portions and place each on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Dust your rolling pin with flour and roll each portion to 1/4″ thickness.
Stack the rolled dough circles on a baking sheet with parchment between each layer. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Chilling firms the dough so the cookies keep their shape while baking.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment. Cut the shapes you want and place them about 1 inch apart on the sheets. Bake 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Gather the scraps, re-form into a ball, roll to 1/4″ and cut more shapes. Small leftover pieces are perfect for initials or tiny accents.
How To Decorate These Valentine’s Sugar Cookies
Now for the fun part: decorating. Katie’s royal icing includes corn syrup, which helps the icing glide smoothly and dry with a glossy finish. This icing is forgiving—although it contains milk it can sit in tightly covered containers at room temperature while you work. Aim to use it within several hours, or finish decorating the next day if needed.
The recipe produces a reliable royal icing that’s great for outlining and flooding. Use gel or paste food colors to tint portions of the icing; they won’t thin the icing and give deep, consistent color.
Beautiful Valentine’s Cookies Begin With Great Gel Food Colors
Katie prefers gel paste food coloring for several reasons: it delivers consistent results, has strong coloring power, won’t separate or weep, and won’t thin the icing. A little goes a long way, so you use less product for vibrant colors.
- Consistent color from batch to batch
- Won’t separate or harden
- Strong coloring power
- Does not thin the icing
- Disperses evenly, so less product is needed
Great Tools Are The Secret To Outstanding Frosted Sugar Cookies
Katie’s cookies look professional thanks to the tools she uses. Silicone bulb dispensers make dispensing icing tidy and easy. Each bulb holds about 3/4 cup of icing, fits comfortably in hand, and is dishwasher safe for simple cleanup. They’re often easier for home bakers to manage than traditional pastry bags and work with standard tips.
Although designed for children, these bulbs suit adult hands well and make precise decorating simpler. They accept the same metal tips used in pastry bags, which keeps technique familiar while reducing frustration.
More Tips From Katie
Katie uses a Wilton #2 tip for outlining; she tests the fit by checking that a toothpick has a little wiggle room inside the tip. When switching colors she sticks a toothpick into the tip and lays the bulb on its side to keep the icing ready and fresh. She also uses the #2 tip to spread icing inside the outlined area for a consistent finish.
For tiny dots and details, Katie pokes the surface of the icing with a long toothpick, then twists and lifts when adding color. This prevents dragging icing blobs across the cookie—practice on a scrap cookie first if you like.
With so many sprinkles, edible glitters, and cookie cutters available, the possibilities are endless. Sugar cookies work for any occasion, not just holidays—have fun and experiment with shapes and decorations.
PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD
Katie’s Beautiful Sugar Cookies
A simple, reliable sugar cookie that cuts and bakes beautifully, perfect for decorating.
30 minutes
11 minutes
2 hours
2 hours 41 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter (3 sticks) at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 4 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Cream butter and sugar on high speed in a large bowl until fluffy.
- Add extracts and eggs to the butter-sugar mixture and beat until well combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- If the dough is too sticky for rolling, knead in a tablespoon or two of flour.
- Divide the dough into four balls. Place one ball on a lightly floured sheet of parchment or a silicone mat.
- Lightly flour a rolling pin and roll the dough to 1/4″ thickness. Lay the parchment with the dough on a baking sheet.
- Repeat with remaining dough balls and stack them with parchment between layers.
- Cover and refrigerate for two hours or up to two days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut out shapes and place them on the prepared sheets about one inch apart.
- How many cookies you get depends on the size of your cutters.
- Bake 10–12 minutes or until they are very lightly browned.
- Cool on the baking sheet a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before decorating.
Notes
Key tip from Katie: allow baking sheets to cool completely before using them for another batch. In cold weather she even places them outside between batches to speed cooling.
PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD
Katie’s Perfect Royal Icing
An easy royal icing that dries to the touch with a shiny finish—ideal for outlining and flooding sugar cookies.
10 minutes
10 minutes
Ingredients
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp white corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla (or to taste)
- 4 Tbsp milk
- Gel or paste-type food coloring as desired
Instructions
- Whisk or beat all ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Divide into bowls for each color you want to make.
- Add gel or paste food coloring and mix until evenly colored.
- Transfer icing to squeeze bulb dispensers fitted with Wilton #2 tips.
- Decorate cookies and add sprinkles while the icing is still wet.
Notes
Although this icing contains milk, it can remain at room temperature in tightly covered containers while you decorate. Use within several hours, or finish the next day if necessary.
When you need cookies quickly—say a last-minute school request—simple solutions work. Try dipping store-bought or homemade cookies halfway in melted almond bark and adding sprinkles before it sets for an instant upgrade. Other quick options include no-bake treats like chow mein noodle haystacks or cornflake cookies for a fast, tasty alternative.
If you enjoyed these recipes and tips, please share them with friends and family. Katie and I love seeing home bakers have fun and gain confidence—happy baking!
Love, GB (Betty Streff)