The Ultimate Valentines Day Cookie Food

THE ULTIMATE VALENTINE'S DAY COOKIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, beat 1 cup powdered sugar, the butter and vinegar with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients except food color. Divide dough in half. Mix food color into one half. (If dough is too dry, stir in milk, 1 teaspoon at a time.)
• On lightly floured cloth-covered surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut into heart shapes with various sizes of cookie cutters. Place smaller hearts on larger hearts of different color dough if desired. On ungreased cookie sheet, place shapes about 2 inches apart.
• Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool 1 to 2 minutes; carefully remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In medium bowl, mix all frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Tint with food color if desired. Spread frosting on cookies.

VALENTINE'S DAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until it is light and fluffy. Scrape bowl as needed. Add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla and then flour and salt. (For the chocolate variation, add the cocoa with the flour.)
• Scrape dough onto a piece of waxed paper, pat into a disk, and cover with another piece of waxed paper. (For the butterscotch variation, refrigerate for about 1/2 hour before proceeding.) Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out cookies, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom and light golden on edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
• For icings, put 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar into each of three small bowls. Stir 4 teaspoons of milk into one of the bowls. Stir cocoa and 4 teaspoons of milk into another. Stir remaining 4 teaspoons milk into last bowl, and tint with food coloring if desired. Spread a little icing over each cookie. Let harden for 20 minutes.