We Love You Beary Much: Our Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookie Recipe

We’ll use any excuse to sprinkle a little extra love into the world, and what better time than Valentine’s Day? Baking sweet treats for the people we love is our love language, so we’re especially excited to share this adorable teddy bear sugar cookie recipe. Whether you’re making them for a special someone or just to spread some joy, these cookies are sure to make anyone’s day a little brighter. Let’s get started on creating these ‘beary’ sweet treats for your Valentine!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour

• ¾ teaspoon baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon table salt

• Optional: Natural red food coloring for hearts

• Optional: Sprinkles for decoration

Directions:

1. Mix Wet Ingredients:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed until creamy and well-combined, about 2 minutes.

2. Add Egg and Vanilla:

Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat until completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Mix Dry Ingredients:

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. Combine Wet & Dry:

Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until the dough is smooth and well-combined. The dough will be slightly sticky, which is fine.

5. Prepare Dough for Hearts:

Optional: If making teddy bear cookies with hearts, set aside a small portion of dough (about ¼ cup). Add a few drops of natural red food coloring to this dough, knead it in until you achieve your desired shade of red. Wrap the red dough in plastic wrap and set aside.

6. Chill Dough:

Divide the remaining dough in half and shape each portion into a flat disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours or until firm.

7. Preheat Oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

8. Roll Out Dough:

Once chilled, generously flour a clean surface and roll out one of the dough disks to about ⅛” thickness. Lightly flour the dough and rolling pin as needed to prevent sticking.

9. Cut Bear Shapes:

Use a teddy bear-shaped cookie cutter to cut out bear shapes from the rolled dough. Carefully transfer the bears onto the prepared baking sheet using a spatula, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

10. Prepare Red Hearts:

Roll out the red dough to the same thickness, using a small heart-shaped cutter to create hearts. Use a spatula to gently place the hearts onto the bears’ tummies.

11. Optional: Fold Bear Arms Over Hearts:

For an extra cute touch, gently fold the arms of the bears over the hearts.

12. Bake:

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.