These Valentine cookies are not only pretty, but most importantly they are delicious. They are made of a lemon shortbread and decorated with a lemon icing. Often these stylized cookies give way to aesthetics and forget that the flavor still rules supreme. These are both tasty and gorgeous!
Order my new cookbook, Zoë Bakes Cookies, now!
Did you know that Saint Valentine’s Day dates back to Pope Gelasius in 500 AD, not the Hallmark Cards of 1910? The original holiday was a religious one, with nothing to do with romance, flowers, chocolate or red royal icing. The modern Valentine’s Day must have been recreated by a pastry chef. It is an excuse to make sweet, pretty, heart-shaped treats like this Valentine cookies. There really isn’t another time of the year when heart-shaped desserts are permissible. It’s a shame really, but Valentine’s Day owns the shape, so we must take advantage of the opportunity.
As you know I am trying to thin out my baking pantry of all the loot various companies send me to test out and review. This scale is one of them. I think it is lovely and it works well, but I have several scales and honestly I prefer digital. This scale by Eat Smart can weigh up to 11-pounds, has a nice big hopper (bowl) and is stylish in a retro way. The down side is that is requires a kitchen that can handle its formidable size. This company also makes a tiny Digital Scale
How to Make Heart Shaped Valentine Cookies
See me make these step by step here and find the full recipe at the end of this post!
To make the Valentine cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Remove the rind, with some of the pith and chop it up into small pieces. Grind it up in a coffee or Spice-and-Nut Grinder
Until it is in very fine pieces. It should almost be powdery. If there are large chunks the cookies will not hold together when rolled out.
In a food processor grind some regular granulated sugar for about 1 minute and then measure out 1/2 cup of the superfine sugar for your recipe. The rest of the sugar can be saved for another recipe.
Beat the butter in a stand mixer with the Beater Blade Paddle Attachment 
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
Knead very lightly until it is a smooth ball.
Use your favorite cookie cutters.
Dust the dough with flour and roll to about a scant 1/4-inch thick rectangle. The dough does not need to chill first.
You can re-roll the scraps once, beyond that it starts to get tough.
Position the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. If you are baking both sheets at once you will want to switch from top to bottom and back to front. Cool on a rack.
Meanwhile make the royal icing:
Combine all the meringue powder, cream of tartar, confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice in a stand mixer. It will be quite thick.
To decorate the cookies follow these instructions.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ingredients
- 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature (see note)
- 1/2 cup superfine sugar see notes
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- rind of 1 lemon see step-by-step instructions in the blog post
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour measured by stirring flour and then using scoop and sweep method
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
Cookies
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Remove the lemon rind, with some of the pith and chop it up into small pieces. Grind it up in a coffee or Spice-and-Nut Grinder until it is in very fine pieces. It should almost be powdery. If there are large chunks the cookies will not hold together when rolled out.
- In a food processor, grind some regular granulated sugar for about 1 minute and then measure out 1/2 cup of the superfine sugar for your recipe. The rest of the sugar can be saved for another recipe.
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer with the Beater Blade Paddle Attachment on medium-high, until it is smooth. Gradually add the sugar, then vanilla and lemon, mixing until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. In thirds, add the flour and salt. Mix until the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead very lightly until it is a smooth ball. Use your favorite cookie cutters. Dust the dough with flour and roll to about a scant 1/4-inch thick rectangle. The dough does not need to chill first. You can re-roll the scraps once, beyond that it starts to get tough.
- Position the cookies on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. If you are baking both sheets at once you will want to switch from top to bottom and back to front. Cool on a rack.
Icing
- Combine all the meringue powder, cream of tartar, confectioner's sugar and lemon juice in a stand mixer. It will be quite thick.
Well as I’m gluten sensitive by fav would have to be flourless chocolate cake. Although sugar cookies are great to give away. I would love to win the scale, I often have to change out regular flour for my gluten frees and weighing is the best way, my present scale is old and ugly, so this bright red one would be greatly appreciated.
These cookies are the cutest! I can’t wait to give them a try!!
There’s a place in Portland, Oregon that my husband and I went to when we were first dating called Rimsky-Korsakoffee House or just “Rimsky’s”. It is an eclectic coffee house with rotating tables, a mermaid in the bathroom and, most importantly, a divine raspberry chocolate mousse. A wonderful Valentine’s treat!
Ohhh a scale! In red too, my fav. color!!
I would have to say that my favorite Valentine’s dessert would be Tiramisu:D (Of course, I’d eat it any other time too:) or a rich slice of cheesecake. . . . mmmmm, my mouth is watering at the thought:)
Coconut or chocolate cake or heart butter cookies
red velvet cake!!! 🙂 yum
An iced sugar cookie that melts in my mouth is my absolute favorite valentine treat – an almond cookie is a close 2nd.
I want that scale!! I love fruit pies and red velvet cake
Hard to pick just one, but I would have to say a nice chocolate fondue…white or dark for me…there is something about sharing warm chocolate with your valentine that is so much fun!
Those cookies are so beautiful, delicate and fancy! I love lemony cookies too.
But, for me, Valentines Day = Chocolate Day, and the darker and richer the better. This Valentines Day I plan on baking deep dark chocolate molten lava cakes for my loved ones (and me!)
I’m definitely trying this recipe! I have a friend who is allergic to eggs and I’m always on the lookout for good baking recipes that I can share with her.
I’m a pretty simple girl at heart. My favorite dessert is chocolate. Valentines day or any other day.
Oooh, I love that red scale!!! I’m a new reader who has fallen absolutely in love with your blog!
Choosing a favorite any-time dessert is hard enough, but for valentines day?! Yikes! If I have to choose one it would probably be a tres leche cake with fresh berries!
This has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day, but I just wanted to stop by to say that after owning it for a year, I’ve finally had the chance to dive into “Healthy Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day” and I can’t get enough of it! In the past week my little family has eaten our way through 4 loaves of whole wheat bread (once made with white WW flour and honey, once with dark brown sugar, white WW and oat flour) and made the most delicious pizza (crust from the Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread recipe). Thank you so much for creating such a fantastic book!
chocolate chocolate and more chocolate!
At our house its always the sweet treat of a chocolate birthday cake. My hubby will be celebrating his birthday for the 60th time on this special holiday!
Molten Lava Cakes are my favorite!
I love your beautiful cookies – very festive! OK -my favorite Valentine’s dessert would have to be Creme Brulee – silky smooth, very yumski!
MMMMMM Lava cake!!!!
mmmm my favorite valentines dessert is caramel bread pudding!
Chocolate mousse cake with raspberry filling! The local French bakery makes a delicious mini heart-shaped cake for two.
i love chocolate raspberry souffle for valentine’s day.
My FAVORITE Valentine dessert is Hot Fudge Pudding Cake.
Yum! Garnished with some whipped cream and a few raspberries.
One year for my girlfriend I did a scavenger hunt though Minneapolis leaving little notes and sweets at meaningful locations. It all ended with a candle lit desert by our favorite frozen lake! Got to love February in Minnesota!
Those cookies are gorgeous! I’d have to say my favorite Valentine’s dessert involves chocolate . . . surprise. It would probably be a pair of warm, molten-chocolate pudding cakes . . . I’m drooling.
Lemon Shortbread Cookies look wonderful and sound delicious — and will be good for all holidays! I am excited about the idea of the finely ground lemon rind and can’t wait to get to baking (Husband will be so happy.) — just need to get to the store for the meringue powder. I am also so happy to have found your site — I will be visiting often. To date, my favorite Valentine’s Day dessert has been a Montmorency Cherry Cheese Cake. P.S. If I am so lucky, I have the perfect spot for the great red scale!