These easy fondant-covered Heart-shaped Cat Cookies are made out of 3 different-sized heart cookie cutters and edible marker. Use this delicious rolled chocolate cookie recipe or your own sugar cookie recipe. Either way, they make a wonderful edible Valentine's Day gift. If you're looking for heart shaped cookie decorating ideas
These decorated cat cookies 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!
Looking for more heart -shaped treats for kids? Try my Jello Fruit and Vegetable Snacks!
🥘Ingredient and Supply Notes
- Coffee granules. Coffee enhances the flavor of chocolate!
- Pink rolled fondant . red rolled fondant and white rolled fondant (affiliate links). It's easiest to buy fondant that's already colored.
- Black edible marker. This is ideal for drawing on the faces of these cat cookies. It's easy to fix mistakes, as well. Just wipe with a Q-tip dipped in a little vodka or clear vanilla. *I recommend Americolor brand.
- Set of heart-shaped cookie cutters. You will need a few sizes, it's most economical to buy them in a set.
- Clear syrup (karo or clear corn syrup). Using clear corn syrup makes it easier to hide mistakes.
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 these chocolate cookies are 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.
🔪How to Decorate Cat Cookies
Prep: Make the cookies as per directions (or my your own sugar 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
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use Chilled Dough for Clean Cookie Shapes. For sharp edges and well-defined heart shapes, chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. If the dough softens while cutting, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
- Prevent Fondant from Sticking. Dust your work surface with a small amount of cornstarch or powdered sugar when rolling out the fondant to prevent sticking. However, use it sparingly so it doesn’t dry out the fondant. You can also use a little shortening (a thin layer) on your work surface.
- Allow Fondant to Dry Slightly Before Attaching. Cut your fondant hearts and let them dry for about 15 minutes before placing them on the cookies. This helps them hold their shape better and prevents stretching.
- Use a Light Hand with the Syrup. Too much syrup can make the fondant slide around or become sticky. A thin, even layer is enough to adhere the fondant securely.
- Support the Ears While Drying. If your fondant ears are floppy, lean the cookies against each other or use small supports (like crumpled parchment paper) to hold them in place while drying.
- Test Your Edible Marker on a Scrap Piece First. Before drawing on the faces, test your edible marker on a piece of fondant to make sure the ink flows smoothly. If the fondant is too soft, let it dry for a bit before drawing.
- Fix Mistakes Made with Edible Marker. If you make a mistake with the edible marker, simply dip it in a little vodka or clear vanilla extract to erase it, allow it to dry, and start over!
- Store in a Single Layer to Avoid Smudging. If stacking cookies in a container, place parchment paper between layers to prevent the fondant decorations from getting damaged.
- Do not store in the fridge. Refrigeration causes fondant to "sweat", so it ends up with little beads of water all over it, which can ruin your cat cookies.
- Freeze Cookies Without Faces for Best Results. If freezing, decorate up to the fondant stage but wait to draw the faces until after the cookies have thawed and dried completely to avoid smudging.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 18 cat cookies. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust.
🍴Edible Valentine
These chocolate cat 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).
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!
❔Recipe FAQ's
Yes! If you're short on time, you can use pre-made sugar cookies and simply decorate them with fondant. Just make sure they have a smooth surface for the fondant to adhere properly.
Absolutely! You can start with white fondant and knead in gel food coloring until you reach the desired shade. Be sure to wear gloves to prevent staining your hands.
If you don’t have an edible marker, you can use melted chocolate or black gel food coloring applied with a fine brush.
Yes, but keep in mind that royal icing requires more precision for outlining and flooding. Fondant is much easier to work with, especially for beginners.
To keep fondant from drying out, cover any unused portions with plastic wrap or store them in an airtight container while working on your 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!
❤️More Valentine's Day Recipes
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😻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 chocolate cookie dough out onto floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick and cut into largest heart shapes.
- Transfer with spatula to ungreased 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
-
- Use Chilled Dough for Clean Cookie Shapes. For sharp edges and well-defined heart shapes, chill the cookie dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. If the dough softens while cutting, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
-
- Prevent Fondant from Sticking. Dust your work surface with a small amount of cornstarch or powdered sugar when rolling out the fondant to prevent sticking. However, use it sparingly so it doesn’t dry out the fondant. You can also use a little shortening (a thin layer) on your work surface.
-
- Allow Fondant to Dry Slightly Before Attaching. Cut your fondant hearts and let them dry for about 15 minutes before placing them on the cookies. This helps them hold their shape better and prevents stretching.
-
- Use a Light Hand with the Syrup. Too much syrup can make the fondant slide around or become sticky. A thin, even layer is enough to adhere the fondant securely.
-
- Support the Ears While Drying. If your fondant ears are floppy, lean the cookies against each other or use small supports (like crumpled parchment paper) to hold them in place while drying.
-
- Test Your Edible Marker on a Scrap Piece First. Before drawing on the faces, test your edible marker on a piece of fondant to make sure the ink flows smoothly. If the fondant is too soft, let it dry for a bit before drawing.
-
- Store in a Single Layer to Avoid Smudging. If stacking cookies in a container, place parchment paper between layers to prevent the fondant decorations from getting damaged.
-
- Do not store in the fridge. Refrigeration causes fondant to "sweat", so it ends up with little beads of water all over it, which can ruin your cat cookies.
-
- Freeze Cookies Without Faces for Best Results. If freezing, decorate up to the fondant stage but wait to draw the faces until after the cookies have thawed and dried completely to avoid smudging.
-
- Fix Mistakes Made with Edible Marker. If you make a mistake with the edible marker, simply dip it in a little vodka or clear vanilla extract to erase it, allow it to dry, and start over!
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.