These heart-shaped cookies for Valentine's Day are really fun and easy to make! They were inspired by a paper valentine I saw many years ago. At the time, I designed this kitty cat cookie as an edible valentine for my daughter's daycare class and the kids loved them!
If you've never decorated cookies with fondant, do not fear - these Valentine Cookies are so much easier than they look!
Heart Shaped Cookies with fondant are perfect for Valentine's day! I started decorating cookies with fondant specifically because it's soo much easier than royal icing! I always struggled with getting the consistency right for outlining, flooding, and detailing with royal icing. It really was a hassle.
Whereas fondant is simple - you roll it out, cut it with the same sized cookie cutter you used for the cookie, and adhere it to the cookie. And you can "glue" fondant pieces to each other with a simple drop of water or a little syrup. These fondant cat cookies are easy to make!
🥘Ingredients
- 2 ⅓ cup flour
- ½ cup cocoa
- 2 tsp instant coffee granules
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- ½ of a 1.5 lb box pink rolled fondant (half of a 24 oz box)
- ½ of a 1.5 lb box red rolled fondant (half of a 24 oz box)
- ½ of a 1.5 lb box white rolled fondant (half of a 24 oz box)
- 1 black edible marker
- 1 set shaped cookie cutters
- ¼ cup clear syrup (karo or clear corn syrup)
Chocolate is just plain necessary on Valentine's Day, so that is why I used this rolled chocolate sugar cookie recipe, but you could use any sugar cookie recipe. It's up to you, but this chocolate sugar cookie is really delicious! I like them because they are similar to my No Fail Sugar Cookies in that they don't lose their shape when baked.
🔪Instructions
(For Decorating Cat Cookies)
Roll fondant to ¼ inch thick and cut the largest heart. Let hearts dry out for 15 minutes for best results. You'll want to cut the medium-sized hearts for the ears at the same time, as they need time to dry as well.
Add a thin layer of syrup to the top of each cookie and gently lift fondant hearts onto cookies, gently spreading the fondant to the edges of the cookies so it covers the entire surface.
For the face: turn the hearts upside down and add the smaller hearts for the noses. You can adhere it with a little syrup or a dab of water
For the ears: turn the medium-sized hearts upside down and place them at the top of the hearts, spaced evenly.* if they are not dry enough, they may flop. You can lean the cookies on each other to dry (so the ears are supported by the face of the cookie above it)
For the eyes: use a small round cutter (I use the back of an icing tip) to cut out the eyes. Adhere the eyes and ears with a little syrup or water
Use the black edible marker to draw in the center of the eyes and the whiskers.
If desired, use the black edible marker to personalize the cookie as a Valentine and wrap as shown
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 18 cookies. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
Edible Valentine
These heart cookies make a great edible Valentine's gift for kids or any cat lover! Put them in a cute little heart bag (or even a simple zip-lock) and use an edible marker to personalize them. I made these for my daughter's daycare class years ago, but we also made them for her dance class this year (including the instructor), as it falls on Valentine's Day!
🌡️Storage
Store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container (between sheets of parchment paper) for up to a week. *Do not put them in the fridge, as fondant 'sweats'.
If you want to make the cookies in advance and freeze them after you put on the fondant, I recommend that you don't draw the eyes or whiskers. Defrost them, let them come to room temperature, and completely air dry (as there will be moisture on the fondant).
🍽Equipment
These easy fondant-covered heart-shaped valentine cat cookies are made out of 3 different sized heart cookie cutters and edible marker (affiliate links). You'll also need the standard mixing bowls, spoons, and a rolling pin.
Use this delicious rolled chocolate cookie recipe or your own sugar cookie recipe. Either way, they make a wonderful edible Valentine.
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a bit cat crazy, but you don't even have to be crazy about cats, or even a cat owner, to love these cute little Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies!
If you're looking for Valentine cookie decorating ideas or heart-shaped cookie recipes, then give these a try! I don't know about you, but when I was a kid, I would have much preferred to get a cat cookie valentine over a paper one any day!
😻Heart shaped Cat Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Rolled cookies:
- 2 ⅓ cups flour
- ½ cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (regular or decaf)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
Cat Cookie Decorations
- ½ of a 1.5 lb box pink rolled fondant (half of a 24 oz box)
- ½ of a 1.5 lb box red rolled fondant (half of a 24 oz box)
- ½ of a 1.5 lb box white rolled fondant (half of a 24 oz box)
- 1 black edible marker
- 1 set heart shaped cookie cutters
- ¼ cup clear syrup
Instructions
Chocolate Rolled Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C)
- Whisk flour cocoa, instant coffee and salt together in a medium bowl.
- In a separate, large bowl, beat sugar and butter together with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and continue beating until well blended.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture (with the electric mixer on low) until thoroughly blended.
- Continue mixing with hands, kneading as you would for bread, until dough clings together.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Roll dough out onto floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick and cut into largest heart shapes. Transfer with spatula to prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until light brown on bottom. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and decorate.
Decorating :
- Roll fondant to ¼ inch thick and cut largest heart. Let hearts dry out for 15 minutes for best results. You'll want to cut the medium sized hearts for the ears at the same time, as they need time to dry as well.
- Add a thin layer of syrup to the top of each cookie and gently lift fondant hearts onto cookies, gently spreading the fondant to the edges of the cookies so it covers the entire surface.
- For the face: turn the hearts upside down and add the smaller hearts for the noses. You can adhere it with a little syrup or a dab of water.
- For the ears: turn the medium sized hearts upside down and place them at the top of the hearts, spaced evenly.* if they are not dry enough, they may flop. You can lean the cookies on each other to dry (so the ears are supported by the face of the cookie above it)For the eyes: use a small round cutter (I use the back of an icing tip) to cut out the eyes. Adhere the eyes and ears with a little syrup or water.
- Use the black edible marker to draw in the centre of the eyes and the whiskers.
- If desired, use the black edible marker to personalize the cookie as a Valentine and wrap as shown.
- Storing: store in a long sealed plastic container between sheets of parchment paper (they can be frozen this way as well). * Do not write on them if you are going to freeze them!
Notes
Nutrition
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
These are so perfectly decorated! I absolutely would have preferred getting these as a kid over paper valentines! Decorating them would also be a fun activity with kids!
Terri Gilson
Thank you, Leanne!
Colleen
These cookies are adorable, Terri. I love that you can personalize them. And the fondant makes them so easy, even for an unskilled decorator, like me. 🙂
Terri Gilson
Hi Colleen: Thanks! Yes, fondant is sooo easy to decorate with! 🙂
Denise@urbnspice
These cookies are as cute as can be, Terri! I am sure they were appreciated by everyone who received them and so much fun to make. Thanks for sharing.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Denise! Yes, my daughter's dance class loved them!
Sabrina
These are the cutest and so simple, I love the fondant idea for topping, it looks great especially when personalized with the edible marker. Where did you find the marker?
Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe!
Terri Gilson
Hi Sabrina: Thank you! Oh, you can get the edible marker online (Global Sugar Art) or at most craft/cake decorating supply stores. I like Americolor Gourmet Writers the best- I've tried many brands!
Wanda
Oh how I wish I had this recipe when the kids were younger, it is just super cool! Now they do not want to hand out treats or cards anymore but we may just have to make them at home and eat them ALL~!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Wanda! I know, my youngest is at the end of this type of things so I'm enjoying it while it lasts! 🙂
Meg
These are so adorable, I love the colours and the creativity! Can't wait to try these ?
Terri Gilson
thank you, Meg! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Tiffany
This is a cool idea! These looks so cute. Thanks for sharing ♥️ ♥️ By any chance you are interested on doing collaborations, you can check out the collaborations portal of Phlanx.com and connect with amazing brands!
Xoxo,
Tiffany
Terri Gilson
Thank you, Tiffany.