There is something about a homemade cookie that store bought treats simply cannot match.
When you take the time to make something by hand, especially for someone you love, the effort shows in every bite.
These Lattice Heart Cookies take that idea and dress it up beautifully. With a woven basket weave design, a two tone pink and white pattern, and a drizzle of white candy coating finished with Valentine sprinkles, they look like they came straight from a specialty bakery.
The best part? You do not need professional training to pull them off. You just need the right ingredients, a piping bag, a heart shaped cookie cutter, and a little patience.
This recipe produces a buttery, delicate cookie with a soft, melt in your mouth texture.
The basket weave design is created by piping two colors of dough side by side through a specialty nozzle, which gives each cookie that gorgeous woven look before it even hits the oven.
These are perfect for gifting, dessert tables, treat boxes, or just making a regular Tuesday feel a little more special.
Understanding the Ingredients
Every ingredient in this recipe has a purpose, so it is worth knowing what each one does before you start.
Unsalted butter is the base of the dough. Using it softened is important because it needs to cream properly with the sugar. If the butter is too cold, it will not mix evenly. If it is too warm or melted, the dough will be greasy and hard to pipe.
A pinch of salt balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor of the butter and vanilla.
Powdered sugar, which you may also see labeled confectioners’ sugar, gives these cookies a smoother, more refined texture compared to granulated sugar. It dissolves completely into the butter, making the dough silky and easy to pipe.
Egg white contributes structure without adding yolk-based richness. This keeps the cookies lighter and helps them hold the piped design during baking.
Vanilla paste is used here rather than extract. Paste has a more concentrated flavor and contains real vanilla bean specks, which adds depth to the taste and a subtle visual detail.
Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, which is exactly what you want for a delicate, tender cookie. It produces a softer crumb and a finer texture. Do not substitute all-purpose flour here if you can avoid it the difference in texture is noticeable.
Soft pink gel food coloring gives one half of the dough its Valentine’s color. Gel coloring is much better than liquid for cookie dough because it delivers strong color without changing the consistency of the dough.
White candy melts are used for the drizzle. They melt easily, set quickly, and give a smooth, glossy finish. You can find them at most craft stores or in the baking aisle at larger grocery chains.
Valentine sprinkles are added on top of the candy melt drizzle before it sets. Use heart shapes, pink and red mixes, or whatever matches your style.
Step by Step Instructions
Start by creaming together the softened unsalted butter, a pinch of salt, and the powdered sugar in a large bowl.
Beat until the mixture is smooth and fully combined. There should be no chunks of butter remaining.
Add the egg white and vanilla paste to the creamed mixture. Mix thoroughly until the batter looks silky and uniform.
Sift the cake flour directly into the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold the flour in gently until just combined.
Stop as soon as you no longer see dry flour streaks. Overmixing at this stage will make the dough tough, which affects both texture and the clean look of your piped design.
Divide the dough evenly into two bowls. Leave one portion plain. Add a small amount of soft pink gel food coloring to the second bowl and mix until the color is even throughout.
Fit a piping bag with a basket weave nozzle, which is typically labeled as a number 47 or 48 tip. Place both colors of dough side by side in the piping bag so they come out together as a two-tone ribbon.
Pipe the basket weave pattern onto separate pieces of parchment paper, making each piped section a bit larger than your 8 centimeter heart cookie cutter. Piping onto individual parchment pieces makes it much easier to lift and move the dough without disturbing the pattern.
Transfer each parchment sheet onto a baking tray and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. This firms the dough just enough to make clean cuts.
Press an 8 centimeter heart cookie cutter firmly into each piped section. Carefully remove the excess dough from around each heart shape.
Transfer the cut cookies, still on their parchment, onto a lined baking tray with slight spacing between them.
Bake in a preheated oven at 340°F for approximately 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges are just lightly golden. Let the cookies cool completely on the tray before decorating.
Once cooled, melt the white candy melts according to the package directions. Drizzle over one corner of each cookie. Immediately scatter Valentine sprinkles over the wet drizzle so they stick as it sets.
Cake flour is strongly recommended for the texture this recipe is designed to produce. If you must substitute, use a mix of all-purpose flour and cornstarch for every cup of cake flour, use ¾ cup all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons cornstarch.
It is a piping tip with a ribbed, rectangular opening. Look for tip numbers 47 or 48 at any craft store, kitchen specialty shop, or online. It is commonly sold in cake decorating sets.
It is not recommended. The 10-minute freeze is what firms up the piped dough enough to cut clean heart shapes. Without it, the pattern distorts when you press the cutter down.
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If layering them in a box, place parchment paper between layers to protect the decoration.
Yes. Pipe the basket weave designs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Cut and bake the next day.
Absolutely. Dark or milk chocolate melts work well and create a nice color contrast against the pink dough.
How to Make Lattice Heart Cookies for Valentine’s Day (Step by Step Guide)
Ingredients
- 200 grams unsalted butter softened
- 1 pinch of table salt
- 90 grams powdered sugar confectioners’ sugar
- 50 grams egg white
- 1 teaspoons vanilla paste
- 225 grams cake flour sifted
- 2 soft pink gel food coloring drops
- 100 grams white candy melts for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons Valentine sprinkles
Instructions
- Cream Butter & Sugar: In a large bowl, beat 200 grams unsalted butter, softened, 1 pinch of table salt, and 90 grams powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar) together until smooth, silky, and fully combined. No lumps of butter should remain.
- Add Egg White & Vanilla: Add 50 grams egg white and 1 teaspoons vanilla paste to the creamed butter mixture. Mix until fully incorporated and the batter looks glossy and uniform.
- Fold in Cake Flour: Sift 225 grams cake flour, sifted into the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold gently until just combined — stop as soon as no dry flour streaks remain. Do not overmix or the dough will toughen.
- Divide & Color the Dough: Split the dough evenly into two bowls. Leave one portion plain. Add 2 soft pink gel food coloring (drops) to the second bowl and mix until the color is smooth and even throughout.
- Pipe the Basket Weave Design: Fit a piping bag with a basket weave nozzle (tip #47 or #48). Place both dough colors side by side in the bag to create a two-tone ribbon effect. Pipe the basket weave pattern onto individual pieces of parchment paper, making each section slightly larger than your 8cm (3-inch) heart cookie cutter.
- Freeze to Firm Up: Transfer each parchment sheet onto a baking tray. Freeze for 10 minutes
- until the dough firms up enough to cut cleanly.
- Cut Heart Shapes: Press an 8cm (3-inch) heart cookie cutter firmly into each piped section. Remove the excess dough from around each heart. Transfer the cut cookies on their parchment to a lined baking tray, spaced slightly apart.
- Bake: Bake in a preheated oven at 340°F (170°C) for 12–14 minutes
- , until the edges are just lightly golden. Do not overbake — centers may look slightly underdone but will firm up as they cool.
- Cool Completely: Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool completely on the tray before decorating. Decorating warm cookies will cause the drizzle to slide off.
- Drizzle & Decorate: Melt 100 grams white candy melts, for drizzling according to package directions. Drizzle over one corner of each cooled cookie. Immediately scatter 2 tablespoons Valentine sprinkles over the wet drizzle so they stick before it sets.
