I’ve never really been a Valentine’s type of girl. And until this very moment, I didn’t know why. Now I do.
You see, when I was in High School (our High School actually started in 7th grade, so I was 12/13 at the time) they did this humiliating money maker. “Buy your Sweetheart a Rose.” You did the buying in the Hall from some smug upperclassmen that were way cuter than you who obviously knew YOU weren’t getting a rose and probably laughed behind your back. And then have it delivered in front of all of your classmates on Valentine’s Day.
I never had a sweetheart.
Or, if I did, it was never at Valentine’s Day.
So imagine you are sitting in 7th period on The Day watching all of your friends and enemies getting flower after flower while you just keep your head down and try not to let it get to you. Sure, you’ll cry on the back seat of the bus all the way home, but, well, that’s to be expected.
Damned fundraisers.
But now, I have been with Jon for the past 17 Valentine’s Days and I should be over my aversion to the holiday. I should relish in a good steak dinner and a box of chocolates. But truth be told, I don’t really even like those heart shaped boxes of candy. It never fails I get the one piece that tastes like chocolate covered burnt gum on my first try and then it spoils my appetite for the rest of them. Is it just me?
This year, I intend to remedy my distaste for the ol’ VD. You see, I’ve already made these pretty little sugar cookies, and now I’m in the mood for a little luvin’. Maybe after I deliver all of my cake orders I’ll actually go out to dinner. With my husband? Sure, why not. And maybe he’ll show up with a rose. And maybe that beyaatchie girl who got her boobs way earlier than I did will be alone at the next table and see me with my flowers and my good looking husband and she’ll think back to the day she giggled behind my 7th grade back when I was left flowerless.
We all have our turn.
I’m still waiting on the boobs, though.
I’ve given you the recipe for the sugar cookies before, in this post, and it’s my go to recipe. But I’ve never given you any real tips for making them look more professional.
First of all, after you have made the dough and allowed it to chill in the fridge for an hour or so, you need to divide it and roll it between 2 pieces of parchment paper to the thickness you want. I usually go for about 1/3 of an inch.
Then place the rolled out dough in the freezer for a couple of hours. Remove it one sheet at a time, and peel all of the parchment off. Yes, from both sides. You can replace the frozen dough onto one of the sheets, but make sure it isn’t stuck on there. You’ll thank me for that tip later. Also make sure your oven is preheated and ready to go.
Cut out your cookies and place them on a SilPat or parchment lined baking sheet. If you’ve been kinda slow with the cutting out,you can return the cut out cookies to the freezer for a bit, or, if you were quicker, slide them on into the oven. Watch them closely. They will be done when the edges just start to brown. It will depend entirely on how large your cookies are.
Lately, I have been using this recipe on the Sweetopia site for royal icing. It is SO easy to work with! I water it down just a bit for my lines and writing consistancy, and then even more for flooding. For a tutorial on Royal Icing, you should really head over to Sweetopia – I have learned so much from her posts and her cookies are gorgeous!
Hope this helps! And Happy Valentine’s Day! 
I hope you get a rose. But if you don’t, I promise not to laugh.
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
You must have been reading my mind! I am literally making the teachers sugar cookie hearts this morning and was thinking, I wish I had some cute ideas on how to decorate them! You rock girl, now they will get cute cookies instead of just a solid color that I was going to do!! Have a good one
sad
the cookies are cute though! you made up for the "late blooming" with all of your culinary creativity! xo and happy v-day!
Happy V-Day!
Your cookies always look so awesome. One of these days I'm going to get the courage to get serious about learning how to make good sugar cookies and decorate them. I'm just such a klutz when it comes to making things look good.
And yeah.. we had the flower thing in high school, too. And balloons. Awesome. Stupid high school.
great post! My daughter (11) says now it's cool if any of your friends gives you a valentine-I'm so glad she's not yet worried about getting one from a boy. Your cookies look GREAT!
These cookies look fantastic! I need to go get myself some cookie cutters. Believe it or not I do not own any…except for a free one I got that is in the shape of the little tivo guy…haha.
Your cookies are gorgeous!
Boobs, I got boobs in high school and I lost them somewhere around 40! I want THOSE ones back. I am tired of stumbling over the ones I got now, I might get hurt.
Those cookies are amazing! I've had sweetopia's royal icing for a few weeks and haven't had time to try it out. I will MAKE time now, because I can't wait to try and make that cupcake cookie!!!
You rock!
wow che meraviglia!! complimenti!
Awesome. My girls (daughter and niece) and I are making hearts and cupcakes today too. I think I even have a cupid cutter I'll bust out. I'll email you my Go-To sugar cookie recipe. It is SO EASY and there is NO chilling…and NO puffing, the cookies go in exactly the way they come out…just browner!
P.S. I'm not a HUGE fan of V-Day either. As such, my husband and his buddies are in Las Vegas for the weekend for a bachelor party, so its just me and the girls!
I don't want a rose… give me these cookies anyday!!! They're abs wonderful looking!!
We did the same thing in Jr. High except it was candy (blow pops I think). I feel your teenage pain! It is so good to be an adult.
Your cookies are beautiful!
When I was in high school, i had a boyfriend (he's my hubby now)
but he didn't go to school with me. So I never got any of those stupid roses either. Sure i got a flower or something after school when I saw him, but I was in a similar situation to you during school.
I loved your cookies, they are gorgeous. I like my royal icing recipe, but I think i'm going to head over to that link and take a look and see what the difference is. If you like it, it must be good!
My daughter wants to make some heart shaped cookies for her BF so I will show her these
Your cookies are just gorgeous! I would have been with you on the no roses but fortunately we didn't do that stupid thing. Been married 28 years this year and we gave up on valentines in 1984! No need to give those companies your money when you love each other every day.
I can totally relate on the rose…I never got one either! Was embarassing in high school but now it wouldn't matter to me! The cookies look great!
omg I remember those rose things at school! I never got one either, but always prayed. I think the teachers who decide to do that secretly relish the fact that some little girl is stressed out over not getting one. Geesh!
Oh, awesome cookies too
I heart you.
Your Valentine cookies look great!
I 'heart' them!
Those are so beautiful decorated!
Love it! Here's an award for you:
http://mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/2010/02/honest-scrap-award.html
You are so incredibly talented. I'm glad you have your sweetheart now!
Susan, any jerk that didn't want to give you a flower was obviously a moron because what they didn't know was that you'd end up being a super talented person. I
You're awesome! And these cookies look awesome!
Happy (almost) Valentine's Day to you and your husband!
Wonderful cookies!!!! I'm still trying to work out the kinks of flooding and pipping sugar cookies
I love your cookies! I always hated Valentine's day until I met my husband. I told him not to do anything for me when we first got together but he would anyways, and now I kind of like it.
I feel your pain about Valentine's day during high school though. I hated those Valentine's school fundraisers with a passion! My friends and I would send them to each other, and I would pretend like that was good enough. But deep down I wanted one from a boy, lol. I also hated the girls that would get a bunch of ballons or roses or stuffed animals from their boyfriends and carry them around all day. I never had anything.
I felt like such a loser, lol.
Good post!
These are truly fantastic!
I remember those days in high school where they sold suckers and I hated them. My girl friends and I would get together and buy each one of us a sucker so we would get one. Ug!! No fun. But these cookies are fun and beautiful. Works of art!
These are beautiful Susan! Never in a million years would I go back to my junior high days. I was laughing about one of your recent posts about note passing. We used to fold those notes in amazing ways – so much better than texting!
Oh wow, those cookie are gorgeous. You are very talented.
Have you ever heard the song "Don't laugh at Me". It is a country song. I love it because it hits home to treat everyone with respect. Teasing last a life time.
Great post.
I was never a big Valentine's Day fan either… and I still don't really go all out (although I do enjoy baking my share of heart-shaped goodies). One year in high school my best friend and I bought each other a dozen roses to carry around school all day so we wouldn't feel left out.
Beautiful cookies!!! Great job.
Love these! So festive & yummy
xoxo
well, I don't tweet so I'm not really entering, but I left you an award over on my blog! (if you're into that sort of thing…no offense if not!)
LOVE these! I adore decorated sugar cookies but never have the patience to make more than a few. Gorgeous.
just stopping by!!! these look great! i worked on some valentines as well! getting ready for st patty's now!
Beautiful!!! I didn’t like Valentine’s Day for the same reason (except our school gave our carnations! ew!). But I love it these days just because I think it’s so pretty and fun! Heart cookies have been on my list this Valentine’s Day, but I’ve never done the whole royal icing flooding thing and am nervous! I found a bunch of tutorials, but now I’m heading over to Sweetopia’s. Your cookies are gorgeous!!