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.