Sassy Conversation Heart Cookies

I love Valentine’s Day. I’m not sure if it’s because I like the excuse to eat sweets or because I love getting crafty with cards, or maybe a little of both. Either way, Valentine’s Day is a great time to express our love and I like to have fun with it in any way that I can.

I made these goofy, sassy cookies inspired by the traditional conversation heart candies you see every year around the holiday. Instead of the usual “I LOVE YOU” message you might usually see, I came up with some fun sayings that will get a laugh out of your besties or partners… if they have a sense of humor! I started with my own single girl mottos of “I’D SWIPE RIGHT” or “IT’S NOT ME IT’S YOU” and moved onto love inspiration from the Jonas Brothers with “SUCKER 4 U.” In between, we’ve got the important stuff, like “BRING WINE” and “THICK THIGHS SAVE LIVES.” Whatever you decide to write on your cookies, you’re sure to get the taste approval from anyone because this recipe came from none other than Martha Stewart.

Here I’m listing everything you’ll need based on what I used, but you’ll need to refer to Martha’s full recipe for the cookies and icing on her site. Or you can find everything you need, like I did, in her book called Cookie Perfection!

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, extra for dusting

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

• 1 stick butter, room temperature

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• gel-paste food coloring

• royal icing (4 cups confectioners sugar, 1/4 cup meringue powder)

• edible ink marker

Just remember that cookie recipes like this require PATIENCE. It’s important to follow every step, like letting the dough cool, letting the icing set overnight, and measuring each ingredient out properly. Baking can be meticulous, but when you come out with cookies this cute it’s ALL worth it!!!

While the cookies are baking and cooling, follow Martha’s recipe for Royal Icing. To create the colors of conversation heart candies, less is more. Food coloring has very concentrated pigments so you don’t need much to achieve the pastel candy colors. Once you dip the cookies in the icing and remove all the bubbles, be sure to let them sit overnight. I didn’t have a proper cooling rack to use for drippings, so I got crafty and took a rack from the oven!

Once hardened, you can use your edible ink marker to add your love notes! Have fun with it, and Happy Valentine’s Day!