COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cream the soft butter with the sugar until the combination is smooth not grainy to the touch in a mixing bowl.

Add all 4 eggs at one time. Continue to mix.

Sift the four, baking powder, and salt together. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Continue mixing to make sure all ingredients are thoroughly blended.

Make the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling wrap completely covering the entire dough ball.

Put in the refrigerator for about 6 hours or overnight.

Check to see if the dough is firm. Pull the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and sit it out to soften up a bit.

Put flour out on the wood cutting board, rub flour on the rolling pin, and work some flour into the batter (if needed), a heart cookie cutter begin to make your cookies.

Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Using a metal spatula move the cut cookies to the parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 8-10 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

Check to see if the cookies are thoroughly baked.

Take the cookies off of the cookie sheet and put on a wire rack to cool completely.(About 10 minutes).

ICING INSTRUCTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl mixing on medium speed for 4 minutes. (except your food coloring). If icing is not stiff enough add ¼ C powdered sugar until the icing is to a 15 second consistency.  Which means that when you slice a spatula across the top of the icing, it would take 15 seconds to disappear.

Separate the icing into 5 small bowls.  Mix the icing with the food gel coloring of your choice. I used for the cookies - pastel colors: pink, yellow, purple and green and then the final bowl is for the writing and I chose a darker color of red (but you can use any color that you prefer).

Place the pastel icing in piping bags and place the pastel icing on the cookies.  Let this icing cool completely (2-3 hours).

Then place the red icing in a decorated bag fitted with tip #1 and write your favorite Valentine’s Day sayings in the center of each cookie.  Some that I love using are Love, BFF, Cutie, XOXO, Call Me, Hug, Kiss, etc.

Then allow the writing icing to cool completely (2-3 hours).

Do not cover the cookies while the icing is cooling.

After the icing has cooled completely, store at room temperature in an air tight container for up to 5-7 days.