• 12 wooden craft sticks
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• heart-shaped cookie cutter
• 12 small plastic bags
• 12 ribbons
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• sprinkles and small candies (optional)
• food coloring

Go

1. With an adult's help, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Soak the sticks in a bowl of water.
2. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Blend in egg.
3. In another bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix until dough is firm.
4. Divide the dough in half. On a floured surface, roll out dough until it is less than 1/4 inch thick. Cut out heart shapes with the cookie cutter.
5. Place hearts on a greased baking sheet 2 inches apart. Lay a wooden stick in the center of each cookie. Top with another heart. Press the edges together.
6. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden.
7. To make icing, mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons water and stir until smooth. Divide icing; use one bowl for each color. Stir a drop of food coloring into each bowl.
8. Allow cookies to cool, then spread with icing and decorate. When the icing is dry, wrap each cookie in a small plastic bag and tie with a ribbon.

This article first appeared in the February 2004 issue of Focus on the Family Clubhouse magazine. Copyright © 2004 by Helen Wolt. Used by permission.