Conversation Heart Cookies

Growing up, one of my favorite candies to receive during Valentines were those little conversation hearts.  You know the ones.  They have all sorts of silly phrases or words on them and the only color that tastes good is the white.  When I was younger, my mom would buy a big bag of them so we could grab a few and put them in with our Valentine cards for our classes at school.  I was that kid who always had to sort through and find the hearts that matched the person I was giving them to.  My best friends got ones like: U R CUTE or 4EVER.  The cute boys in class or my crush got the ones that said: CALL ME or LOVE U.  (I doubt anyone actually read the hearts before they ate them, but it was still part of the fun to think that maybe they did.)  Now I've got a bigger, and better tasting, treat that I like to make around Valentine's Day: Conversation Heart Cookies.

The recipe for these cookies is actually one that I shared over a year ago during Christmas time.  I called it "My FAVORITE Roll and Cut Cookies" because they are the same cookies I've been making for as long as I can remember and they are amazing.  They hold their shape well and aren't brittle so they can hold up to frosting and decorating.  The frosting recipe that I use can also be found in the same recipe, along with tips for how to avoid the dough sticking to the rolling pin and recognizing the perfect frosting consistency.

Okay, so these cookies might be one of the funnest (most fun?) treats that I make.  Most of the time I make a bunch and let the kids help decorate.  But with these conversation heart cookies, I keep most of them for myself and let the kids help with only a dozen or so.

To make your own conversation heart cookies, you'll need:

• one batch (about 3 dozen) roll and cut cookies (recipe HERE)
• one batch of frosting (recipe HERE)
• food coloring (I used Neon)
• bowls
• red decorating gel

Before you start decorating, make sure the cookies are completely cool.  Make the frosting and divide it into bowls, depending on how many colors you want.  I chose to do four colors. 

Using the back of a small spoon, spread the frosting around the cookie, leaving a small border all the way around.  (See my cookie recipe for more in-depth instructions on using this frosting.)

The next step is important because if you don't do it, you won't be able to write the words on the cookies.  You have to let the frosting/icing completely dry.  This can take a few hours during the day but I usually just frost them at night, leave them out for a couple hours and then store them in an airtight container until I'm ready to do the next step.

To write the words on the cookies, I use a small tube of red decorating gel.  Just snip off the top and squeeze a little out to get a feel for how hard you need to push.  Keep a napkin or paper towel nearby to wipe the tip of the tube off to keep it clean between cookies.

Unless your cookies are really big, you'll want to stick to one or two words or shorten the words to single letters (example: You are = U R).  I like to use the top middle part of the cookie where it dips down as my center when I am deciding where to place my words.  For example, when I write the word "sweet", I write the first "e" in the middle and use that as my center, writing the second "e" and "t", then going back and writing the "w" and the "s" last.  Doing it this way just keeps things more centered.  (Although let's be honest, the words on the real candies are anything but centered.)  If you mess up a little, you can just use your (clean and dry) finger to wipe it off the cookie and start over.  This is one of the biggest reasons why you want to make sure the icing is dry.  It's much more forgiving if you make a mistake.  In the example below you can see that I wrote "kiss" then used that word to help me center the word "me" underneath it.

If you're going to be storing them, I highly recommend letting the gel set and thicken before moving them to a container.  Store them with a sheet of wax paper in between and keep them in the fridge or on the counter for up to one week.

So what do you think?  Are you excited to make your own?  I seriously just love making these at Valentines even though they do take a little longer due to the time between steps.  But when they're finished and you give them to your kids, spouse, neighbors or friends, the look on their face will make it worth it and they will think U R CUTE. *wink*  (I couldn't help myself.)

If you are looking for more Valentines ideas, check out The ULTIMATE All Things Valentines Round Up I put together a couple weeks ago.  You'll find ideas for crafts, kid activities, recipes, date night and gift ideas and more!  I'm not kidding when I say there is literally something for everyone.

Do you have a favorite Valentines treat you make every year or a favorite candy you can only find during Valentines?  Share below, I'd love to hear!