These heart-shaped vanilla cookies, finished with a glossy layer of pink icing and delicate sugar pearls, are the perfect way to celebrate International Cookie Day! They’re soft in the centre, slightly crisp on the edges, and sweet without being too rich. They’re also wonderfully easy to make, so you don’t need to be a pro baker to pull them off. The dough comes together quickly, the shapes hold beautifully, and decorating them is half the fun.

Ingredients

• 2½ cups plain flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the icing:

• 1½ cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2–3 tablespoons milk or water
• A few drops of pink food colouring
• White sugar pearls or sprinkles for decoration

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients, stirring until a soft dough forms.
5. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to about ½ cm thick. Cut out heart shapes and place them on the baking tray.
6. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until just golden around the edges. Cool completely before icing.
7. For the icing, mix icing sugar with milk until smooth and glossy. Add a few drops of pink colouring and stir.
8. Spread or pipe icing over each cookie, then decorate with sugar pearls. Leave to set before serving.