How to Make the Cutest Mother’s Day Cookies EVER
We’re putting a Mother’s Day spin on classic Valentine’s Day conversation hearts — conversation cookies! This recipe is a thoughtful gift option for those long-distance mamas, or really any mom who loves a sweet treat. We riffed off of this lemon shortbread recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine, but any shortbread recipe will do. (Just avoid using recipes that call for raising agents such as baking powder, baking soda, eggs or yeast — this will make the letters expand and meld together.) Read on for the tutorial!
Ingredients + Materials
- – 1/2 cup quality unsalted butter, room temperature (we used Land O’Lakes)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tsp finely grated lemon peel
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 pinch course kosher salt
- food coloring
- letter cookie cutters
- heart-shaped cookie cutter
- popsicle stick and/or lollipop stick
- electric mixer
- rolling pin
- thin metal spatula or pie server
- parchment paper
- plastic wrap
- baking sheet
- spoon
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grate two packed teaspoons of lemon zest. Save the lemon; you may use the juice later on.
2. Mix the butter and powdered sugar together in the electric mixer. Once smooth, beat in the lemon peel and vanilla extract, then add the flour and salt. Beat until just combined. If your dough is crumbly, add one tablespoon of water or lemon juice.
3. Put 1/4 of the dough in the fridge and transfer the rest onto a big piece of plastic wrap. Sandwich the dough with another piece of plastic wrap and roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic. Dip your heart-shaped cookie cutter in flour, then cut out as many cookies as possible. Place the hearts on a baking sheet with parchment paper, then re-roll the scraps to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out more cookies. Repeat until you run out of dough. Let the cookies chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or until firm.
4. Remove the other dough from the fridge and place in a bowl, then add food coloring. Mix in food coloring with a spoon until the dough is completely dyed.
5. Place the colored dough on a piece of plastic wrap, cover it with another piece, and roll it to 1/4 inch thickness. Dip your letter cookie cutters in flour, then stamp out your message. If the dough sticks to the cutter, use a popsicle stick or lollipop stick to gently push it out. Carefully peel away the excess dough and use a floured metal spatula or pie server to transfer each letter to the cookie. Place the cookies back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
6. Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes, until just golden around the edges, then let cool.
FYI — we used this ABC Mini Cookie Cutter Set from Williams Sonoma.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grate two packed teaspoons of lemon zest. Save the lemon; you may use the juice later on.
Mix the butter and powdered sugar together in the electric mixer. Once smooth, beat in the lemon peel and vanilla extract, then add the flour and salt. Beat until just combined. If your dough is crumbly, add one tablespoon of water or lemon juice.
Eggless cookie dough means you can sneak guiltless tastes along the way ;)
Put 1/4 of the dough in the fridge and transfer the rest onto a big piece of plastic wrap. Sandwich the dough with another piece of plastic wrap and roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness. Remove the top sheet of plastic. Dip your heart-shaped cookie cutter in flour, then cut out as many cookies as possible. Place the hearts on a baking sheet with parchment paper, then re-roll the scraps to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out more cookies. Repeat until you run out of dough. Let the cookies chill in the fridge for 20 minutes or until firm.
Remove the dough from the fridge and place in a bowl, then add food coloring. Mix in food coloring with a spoon until the dough is completely dyed.
Pro Tip: Avoid using your hands to mix the dough if using gel food coloring! That stuff is nearly impossible to wash off your skin. Trust us, we know from experience….
Place the colored dough on a piece of plastic wrap, cover it with another piece, and roll it to 1/4 inch thickness. Dip your letter cookie cutters in flour, then stamp out your message. If the dough sticks to the cutter, use a popsicle stick or lollipop stick to gently push it out. Carefully peel away the excess dough and use a floured metal spatula or pie server to transfer each letter to the cookie. Place the cookies back in the fridge for 10 minutes. Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes, until just golden around the edges, then let cool.
Some messages that almost made the cut — “U DA MOM,” “SUP MA?,” “MOM DIGGITY” and “HOT MAMA.” Next time.
Making these cookies? We want to see the results! Share photos on social media with the hashtags #iamcreative and #britstagram so we can check them out.