Heart Shaped Cookie Cutters for Perfect Valentine's Day Treats

Making Cute Cookie Cutters for Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day coming up, homemade gifts and treats are always appreciated. For those with a creative flair in the kitchen, baking customized Valentine's Day cookies is a fun way to show someone special how much you care.

Heart Shaped Cookie Cutters

The most popular and classic Valentine's Day cookie shape is, of course, the traditional heart. Heart-shaped cookie cutters come in many sizes, perfect for baking anything from large gingerbread cookies to small sugar cookies. Tiny heart-shaped treats are especially cute to include in a Valentine's gift basket paired with chocolate truffles or red candy.

When decorating your heart-shaped cookies, get creative with pink and red icing, sprinkles, cinnamon hearts, or crushed peppermint. Write messages like "Be Mine" or "XOXO" for an extra special homemade touch.

Unique Shaped Cookie Cutters

While hearts are the customary shape, cookie cutters nowadays come in all sorts of fun and unique silhouettes perfect for Valentine's Day. Look for cookie cutters shaped like lips, cupids, flowers, or even cute animals like ladybugs.

To make your special Valentine smile with delight, pick cookie cutters that align with their hobbies or interests. For example, use a bike or guitar shaped cookie cutter for someone who enjoys cycling or music. Or, if they love reading books, bake them cookies featuring shapes like bookmarks.

Decorating Your Valentine's Cookie Cutters

When it comes to decorating your customized Valentine's Day cookie cutters, it’s best to make the design simple with only a few colors. Stick to traditional Valentine’s colors with different hues of pink, red, white, or purple icing.

Use corn syrup or egg whites to create an icing that will set hard on the cookies to help bring out the cutter’s shape details. Outline the shape first with a runnier icing using a piping bag or spoon. Then fill in the center area with a thicker consistency icing.

Look for Valentine’s themed sprinkles to accent your iced shapes available at most craft or baking stores. For added sparkle, add edible glitter or sanding sugar before the icing sets.

Cookie Cutter Ideas for Kids

Baking cookie cutter treats can be a fun craft for children this Valentine's Day too. From preschoolers to preteens, kids of all ages will enjoy making batches of cookies shaped in hearts, flowers, cupids, or animals.

Safe Cutters for Young Kids

For children ages 3-6, pick cookie cutters with no sharp edges or points. Simple round or oval shapes work well. Hearts and flowers are classic choices, but kids may enjoy bears, bunnies, or Anything unicorn or rainbow themed also tends to be a hit with the preschool crowd.

Provide plenty of safe decorations like colorful sprinkles, M&M’s, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, gummy bears, or mini marshmallows. Though tempting, avoid small hard candies which could present a choking hazard to little ones.

More Elaborate Designs for Older Kids

Children 7 and older have the dexterity to handle more detailed cookie cutters safely. Opt for intricate flower shapes, animals like cats and dogs, or symbols from their favorite television show or movie.

Flavored gel icings in tubes make decorating easy for kids to draw and write directly on the baked goods. Mini candy beads, silver ball candies, and sanding sugars add polish without being overly complicated for young decorators.

Encourage creativity by letting each child design their own customized cookie cutter creations as edible Valentines to give out to their classmates or friends.

Saving Your Cookie Cutters Year to Year

High quality cookie cutters well taken care of can be used over and over. Opt for sturdy metal cutters rather than flimsy plastic which tends to warp or degrade over time. Copper and tin alloy cookie cutters provide decorative appeal as well.

Cleaning Tips

After each use, thoroughly wash cookie cutters by hand or in

FAQs

What are some good cookie cutter shapes for Valentine's Day?

The most popular Valentine's Day cookie cutter shapes are hearts, lips, cupids, flowers, animals like bears and bunnies, or fun objects like guitars and bikes that tie into the recipient's hobbies or interests.

How can I make my Valentine's cookie cutter gift extra special?

Customize your cookie cutter creations by decorating with pink, white or red icing and Valentine's Day themed sprinkles. Write sweet messages with icing like "XOXO" or package the cookies in a decorative gift box or basket along with other homemade treats.

What's the best way to store cookie cutters?

Carefully wash and fully dry each metal cookie cutter after use. Store individually in sealable plastic bags or rigid containers to prevent shapes from rubbing against each other which can diminish designs. Simply organize cutters on hooks, a magnetic strip or mesh rack for easy access later.

Can young kids safely decorate cookies made with cutters?

Yes, baking cookie cutter treats can be a fun project for kids! Provide safe decorations like sprinkles, chocolate chips and shredded coconut for ages 3-6. Older children 7+ can handle squeezable icing tubes to draw and write messages directly on the baked goods.