Instructions

1. Follow a simple rolled sugar cookie recipe of your choice or combine a dry mixture of flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon with a wet mixture of eggs, vanilla extract, sugar and butter. Measurements and techniques vary slightly from recipe to recipe. You may also use almond extract instead of vanilla. Experiment by adding a liquor of your choice, such as brandy, Amaretto or spiced rum.

2. Blend the wet ingredients together in a bowl by hand or by using an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth. While stirring the wet ingredients, pour the dry mixture into the bowl gradually. Continue to stir until the wet and dry ingredients have blended together completely and dough is a squishy and only slightly sticky consistency. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 F or as your recipe otherwise calls for. While you wait for the oven to preheat, roll out the chilled dough on a floured work surface using a rolling pin. Roll the dough out until it is approximately 1/2 inch thick.

4. Press the heart-shaped cookie cutter downward onto a section of the dough until you feel it break through to the work surface. Carefully pull the cookie cutter upward and away from the dough. Use the tip of your fingers to carefully pull the heart-shaped piece of dough off the work surface. Place it onto a non-greased cookie sheet. Place the dough hearts an inch away from each other on the pan and continue to do this until the pan is full.

5. Bake the cookies for approximately 6-10 minutes. The baking time will vary depending on the thickness of the cookies and your oven's specific personality. Thus, it is best to check the cookies after 6 minutes and each minute after that. To double check that the cookies are done, life one cookie with a spatula and if the base of the cookie is golden brown it is done.

6. Allow the cookies to cool completely and then decorate them however you wish. Frost them with store-bought or homemade frosting. Add a drop of red food coloring to white frosting to create pink frosting. Add sprinkles for extra pizazz.