Chocolate sugar cookies cut into heart shapes and topped with pretty pink frosting and sprinkles! A fun and delicious treat for Valentine's Day! From Maria Lichty of Two Peas and Their Pod.

Ingredients

FOR THE COOKIES:

• 1 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour, Or As Needed (See Instructions)

• 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder (I Use Dutch-processed Cocoa)

• 1 tsp. Baking Powder

• 1/2 tsp. Salt

• 1/2 cup Butter, At Room Temperature

• 1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar

• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

• 1 Large Egg

• 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
  

  FOR THE FROSTING:

• 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened To Room Temperature

• 2 cups To 3 Cups Confectioners Sugar

• 2 Tbsp. To 3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream Or Milk

• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

• 1 drop Red Food Coloring

• Sprinkles, For Decorating Hearts

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease a 9x13 pan and set aside.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

• With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugars for about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. (Dough should be thick and dense, the consistency of sugar cookie dough. Add up to 1/4 cup additional flour if dough is too moist and fudgy.)

• Press cookie dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes or until cookie bars are set. Don’t overbake. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

• While the cookie bars are cooling, make the frosting. Using a mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the confectioners' sugar, cream or milk, and vanilla extract. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes. Add up to 1/2 cup more confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or another tablespoon of cream or milk if frosting is too thick. Add a drop of red food coloring and mix until smooth. If you want the frosting darker, you can add more food coloring.

• Cut the cooled bars with a small heart shaped cookie cutter. Frost the hearts with the frosting, using a knife or piping bag. Decorate with sprinkles.
  
  Note: Save the cookie scraps for snacking! They are great on top of ice cream or in a milkshake. Store the frosted cookie hearts in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

I have always loved Valentine’s Day. Flowers, chocolate, candy hearts, pink everything, cute little cards … what’s not to love?

I know Valentine’s Day is supposed to be all about the romance, but I love celebrating the holiday even more with my kids. (Sorry, Josh.) I love making crafty Valentine cards and sweet treats with our boys.

My boys helped me make these Chocolate Sugar Cookie Hearts and we had so much fun. Our kitchen was covered in pink frosting and sprinkles, but it was worth it!

The chocolate sugar cookies are easy to make because you make them in a pan. You don’t have to roll out any dough. When the cookie bars are cool, use a heart shaped cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes. And make sure you don’t throw away the cookie scraps, eat them or save them for later. We mixed them into ice cream. So good!

Frost the cookie hearts with pink buttercream frosting and decorate with sprinkles!

Share the Chocolate Sugar Cookie Hearts with your family, friends, or your secret admirer. They are the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day!