If you are looking for an easy homemade Valentine cookie recipe that is quick and delicious, you’ve come to the right place! I love surprising my family with baking that is seasonally themed. However, I am not typically one to be extravagant in my baking. I like simple recipes that taste good and this one is definitely a big hit in our house. This recipe is also a fun twist on a traditional thumbprint cookie.
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Where Did Valentine’s Day Come From?
According to The Pioneer Woman, the history of Valentine’s Day is not exactly what you’d expect. Yes, it does have to do with St. Valentine but it actually stems all the way to before Christianity was even a recognized religion. I will let you read about the bloody details over at The Pioneer Woman’s website because that is not typically the content I like to write about here. However, it is still very interesting to know the history of a holiday before you start celebrating and making cookies with your family so I will give you the “Cole’s notes” version here.
In ancient times, Valentine’s Day wasn’t about sending love letters to your spouse and greetings to all your friends. It was called Lupercalia and was actually celebrated in February but that is about all it has in common with today. Back then the celebrations had lots of blood sacrifices and fertility rituals.
Once the Roman empire started embracing Christianity, this holiday in February morphed into one that honored St. Valentine instead. The day was to remember the execution of St. Valentine which happened on February 14. But why all the lovey dovey stuff? The story goes that St. Valentine was a priest who was arrested for defying a Roman decree that forbade soldiers from marrying. So he was a romantic guy I guess.
As strange and confusing as the holiday actually is, today it is one of celebrating love and friendship. In our house, we look at this through a protestant lens and focus on loving others because Jesus first loved us. And one way to do that is to make delicious valentine cookies that we can then gift and share with others.
What Will You Love About These Cookies?
See what I did with that title? This recipe is similar to most traditional thumbprint cookies. The difference comes with the heart shaped design in the middle. These cookies are soft and buttery with slightly crisp edges.
- The dough holds its shape really well in the oven.
- You can customize it with any jam filling you want.
- These are soft and buttery with a slight crisp to the outside.
- These are the perfect cookie to pair with tea and coffee. So delicious!
- No special tools needed. Just a finger or thumb.
- This recipe is so simple that I always have these items in the house.
Choosing Your Jam
I usually use some of our homemade jam. I just really like the fresh flavor of homemade jam. For the cookies in this post, I used a homemade raspberry jam. Ideally you should use a jam with a color that is flattering to the cookie and in keeping with the Valentine theme.
Here are some jam flavor ideas:
- Strawberry
- Raspberry
- Fig
- crab apple
- Saskatoon Berry
- Blackberry
- Blueberry
Also, it is best to use a jam or jelly that isn’t too watery. It is easier to place the jam into the correct spot on the cookie if it holds its form.
Easy Homemade Valentine Cookie Recipe
Easy Homemade Valentine Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix together the butter and sugar until well incorporated.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt until a dough forms.
- Form into 24 1 inch balls and place on the cookie sheet.
- With your thumb or finger press down diagonally in the center of each ball. Then do the same in the opposite direction. You are creating a heart shape here. Form the bottom to a point with your fingers if needed.
- Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes or until they become slightly golden.
- Cool on a while rack. You can press down on the heart shape again here to allow the jam to fill the space more in the next step. Allow to fully cool before adding jam.
- Once cooled, carefully add the jam and spread it into the heart shaped groove in the cookie.
Storing and Freezing Valentine Cookies
You can store these on the counter for about a day. After that I would recommend keeping them in the fridge just for the jam to stay a nice consistency.
Always store in a an airtight container,
You can freeze these (before putting jam on them) for up to 4 months. I wouldn’t recommend freezing them with the jam on. They wont stay very nice.
More Easy Homemade Recipes You Will Fall in Love With
Did it again. Just crushing the titles in this post! Check out these recipes for some simple and delicious baking options.
- Wholewheat Sourdough Banana Bread
- Easter Cookies with Hershey’s Eggies
- Easy Homemade Lemon Sugar Cookies
- Fast and Easy Peanut Butter Cookies
Thank you for taking the time to read and try out this easy homemade valentine cookie recipe. I am so grateful that you spent this time with me. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as my family does. Please comment below if you have any questions or if you’ve come up with a way to make these cookies even better.
And please share this recipe with anyone looking for a quick and easy valentines recipe.
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