Our Valentine’s shortbread cut out cookies are really easy to make with the kids. Getting the kids in the kitchen to bake with them is a fun experience especially as the kids get older.
In the past few years, my children have enjoyed baking cookies for friends and neighbors rather than making paper valentines. We recently tweaked a yummy shortbread recipe and added a surprise pop of color and flavor.
Valentine’s Cookies to Bake with Kids (and a Surprise!)
Our valentines cookies start with a shortbread dough. We also added a small cutout in the center of each. Our surprise filling included gummy bears!
That is the secret to these special treats. Make a batch and pass a few out to friends. Then, use the cleaned cookie cutters to make a special heart cookie cutter painting. It makes a great DIY kid-made valentine card to give along with a few cookies!
Here is how we made these yummy cookie treats.
Steps:
Mix up your favorite shortbread cookie recipe. We rolled out the dough and cut out circle shapes with a large biscuit cutter.
Then, using a small heart cutter, the kids cut out a heart shape from the middle of each circle. (You can do this for any holiday or theme: Tree shape cut outs for Christmas; leaf shape cut outs for fall; flower cutouts for summer.)
We lined our cookie sheets with parchment paper. This is a must so the cookies do not stick. Then, inside each cookie, place 3 gummy bears in the opening.
Bake the little heart cutouts too! They make fun little mini cookies.
Then, place the cookie sheet into the oven as bake as directed.
As the cookies bake, the gummies melt making the coolest cookie surprise! These Valentine’s shortbread cookies have a fun glass-like surprise in the middle. They are so pretty for a party or just a fun family baking time together.
Finished Valentines Shortbread Cut Out Cookies
The cookies are so easy. Take your favorite simple cookie recipes and turn them into a surprise cutout cookie with this little gummy trick.
For more Valentine’s activities for kids, check out all our resources:
Simple Valentines Activities for Kids
What are your favorite Valentine’s activities or recipes to make with the kids?
