Sweet Baking Ideas For Your Valentine

If the way to your heart is through your stomach, then these recipes are for you. Here's a round-up of love-packed/cut-out cookie recipes that are bound to show your love. 

• Almond Flour Sugar Cookies from Urban Poser
• Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies from Momables 
• Coconut Oil Sugar Cookies from Oh Lady Cakes 
• Honey-Sweetened Whole Wheat Cut-Out Cookies from My Humble Kitchen
• Almond Flour Frosted Sugar Cookies from Detoxinista
• Healthier Homemade Sugar Cookies from Live Simply

In addition to a great recipe, special cut-out cookies also need quality ingredients and appropriate baking gear. Here's what we used for making our Valentine cookies: 

Natural Food Coloring + Sugar Sprinkles:

When it comes to decorating cookies, we are big fans of Maggie's Naturals. Instead of making colorful frosting with artificial food coloring and dyes, Maggie's Naturals food coloring is made from natural sources like yams, gardenia extract, beets, curcumin and annatto seed. There are NO artificial ingredients and NO GMO ingredients in Maggie's Naturals. The natural sprinkles (available in 7 colors) are made with organic cane sugar plus the color from beets, yams and other plant extracts. 

Cookie Baking Sheet:

Having the right baking equipment also helps with the production. This high-quality, durable Jelly Roll Pan/ Cookie Sheet is made of food grade 18/8 stainless steel. It heats evenly and does NOT have a non-stick coating which contains concerning chemicals, like PFOA.

  

Stainless Steel Cookie Cutters: 

When paired with long lasting stainless steel Graduated Heart Cookie Cutters, cookies are sure to keep their shape. These thick gauged cookie cutters are easy to use and to care for -- they're made from high-grade stainless steel so they won't rust, even when run through the dishwasher. The set of 6 graduated hearts store neatly in a round tin. 

Use the stainless steel cookie cutters for cutting heart-shaped sandwiches, fruit (melon works great), pancakes and more for fun, love-packed lunches!

Cookie Storage:

And to keep your cookies fresh try this wide + shallow 3 qt glass container. Made from tempered glass, this container is multi-purpose; use it for baking, freezing or storing baked goods. The TrueFit lid provides an excellent seal for keeping foods fresh.

Surprise your kiddo with a homemade Valentine cookie in their school lunch! We make sure to secure these special treats in non-crushable stainless steel containers.

If you've baked a whole batch of cookies as a Valentine gift, try stacking your hearts in a cylindrical glass Weck jar.

Enjoy making treats for your sweets!

Do you have any favorite recipes or tips to share?  If so, please leave them in the comments below.