Valentine’s Day Soft Butter Cookies Recipe
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with these soft and delicate butter cookies made tender and flavorful with a unique addition of mayonnaise. Lightly sweet, beautifully pink, and adorned with festive sprinkles, these heart-shaped cookies are perfect for gifting or sharing with loved ones. They bake up soft and tender with a melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s truly irresistible.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 60 cookies
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature, not melted)
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (e.g., Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil Mayo)
- 3-5 drops pink food coloring
Toppings
- Valentine’s Day sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Beat Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, place the softened unsalted butter and white granulated sugar. Using a mixer, beat them together for several minutes until the mixture becomes fluffy and creamy, which helps create a light texture for your cookies.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the large egg, vanilla extract, and mayonnaise to the creamed butter and sugar. Add 3 to 5 drops of pink food coloring to achieve a festive hue. Mix everything for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth, well combined, and creamy.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour and baking powder last. Mix gently and just until the flour is fully incorporated to avoid overdeveloping the gluten and keeping the cookies tender.
- Shape the Cookies: Transfer the cookie dough into a pastry bag fitted with a medium-sized star tip, such as a French Star Tip #4. Pipe small heart-shaped cookies about 1 to 1½ inches in size onto the prepared parchment paper. These cookies do not spread much during baking, so you can pipe them close together. Optionally, garnish each cookie with Valentine’s Day sprinkles for a festive touch.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 325°F (163°C) for 12 minutes. The bottoms of the cookies should remain pale in color to maintain a soft texture, so avoid overbaking.
- Cool the Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes after baking to set their shape, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Storage: Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep fresh and soft for up to one week, making them perfect for preparing ahead of time.
Notes
- The mayonnaise adds moisture and tenderness to the cookies, replacing some of the fat and giving a soft texture.
- Do not overmix the flour to keep the cookies tender and soft.
- Use a pastry bag or a cookie press for shaping; you can experiment with different tips for different shapes.
- These cookies don’t spread much, so they can be piped close together to save space on baking sheets.
- Baking at a slightly lower temperature prevents the cookies from browning, maintaining their pale, soft appearance.
- Store in an airtight container to preserve freshness and softness for up to one week.
