Marbled Royal Icing Cookies

Looking for something special to make for Valentine's Day? Look no farther! These cookies are SO fun to make and eat! (Despite the long instructions, they are actually very easy to make!)

This basic recipe can be changed up in so many great ways! You can mix up the cookie flavor (by using sugar cookie, chocolate sugar cookie, shortbread, gingerbread, etc.) and mix up the flavoring in the icing (by using clear vanilla, almond, lemon, orange, raspberry, strawberry, mint, cinnamon, cherry, coconut, etc.) to create whole new flavor combos every time you make these cookies! They are totally DELISH! (For another yummy recipe, check out last year's Valentine's Day cookies!)

Marbled Royal Icing Cookies

Design ideas from HERE and HERE

Icing recipe from Wilton.com

Makes 2 dozen

To make the cookies you will need:

2 dozen cookies (I used Shortbread, but you can use any sturdy roll-out cookie)

1 batch royal icing (recipe follows)

pink food coloring (I used Wilton)

For royal icing:

3 tablespoons meringue powder

4 cup (about 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar

6 tablespoons warm water

*Make sure that your bowl and beaters are grease-free - the icing won't set up if they aren't!* Beat all ingredients for about 7-10 minutes on low speed in a stand mixer (or 10-12 with a hand mixer). Test the icing for proper consistency using the '10-second rule'. Just take a spoonful of the icing and drop it back into the bowl. It should take about 10 seconds to disappear into the rest of the icing. If it takes less than 10 seconds, keep mixing, if it takes more than 10 it is too thick, so add a little bit of water to the icing.

Once the icing has reached the proper consistency, color a portion of the icing pink (or color of choice), and leave the rest white. Transfer into zip-top bags with a very small hole cut in the corner, (or use a grease-free decorator tip - I used #2). Outline the cookie with main color, then "flood" the entire cookie by filling the outlined space with the same color icing. Use contrasting color to make design.

To make heart border: After cookie has been "flooded", apply dots of icing around edges of cookie in contrasting color, about 1/4 inch away from the edge of the icing outline. Take a toothpick and run it through the center of all the dots, creating little hearts (You don't need to lift the toothpick out of icing when doing each dot, just make it one continuous motion).

To make swirl design: After cookie has been "flooded", make horizontal lines across cookie using contrasting color. Then drag toothpick up and down (as if drawing the letter "S") through the icing to make swirls. (There is a great photo tutorial here.)

To make dot border: After cookie has been "flooded", add evenly spaced dots around the border of the cookie. (If you want the dots to sit on top of the icing, instead of sink into it, just allow the flooded cookie to harden for 5 minutes before adding dots.)

Let cookies sit uncovered at room temperature until completely dry (this may take 12+ hours).

Wishing you Happy Baking, and a very Happy Valentine's Day. Enjoy!