Han and Leia Valentine's Day Cookies for the Scoundrel or Princess in Your Life

• 3-inch round cutter
• Red heart sprinkles
• Silver pearls

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 3 Tablespoons meringue powder
• 6 Tablespoons warm water
• Pink food gel dye
• Brown food gel dye
• Black food gel dye
• Blue food gel dye
• Red food gel dye

Step 1: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 2: In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.

Step 3: Add the egg and vanilla, until combined.

Step 4: Slowly add in the dry ingredients just until the dough comes together.

Step 5: Split the dough into two and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill until you are ready to use.

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prep baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

Step 7: Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Use a round cutter to cut and press the shapes, then transfer them onto the prepped baking sheets.

Step 8: Bake for 10 minutes, let cool on a wire rack.

Step 9: Once the cookies are cool, start on the icing. In the bowl of an electric mixer, stir together the powdered sugar and the meringue powder. Slowly add the water until the icing is combined. Add a teaspoon of water if necessary, to get the right consistency.

Step 10: Separate the icing into four bowls, leaving the first one white, using food gel dye to color the second one pink, and the third bowl brown.

Step 11: Separate the fourth bowl again into three smaller bowls, using food gel dye to color small amounts of black, blue, and red.

Step 12: For the faces pipe an outline of pink icing onto the cookies. Flood the circle with icing, then use a toothpick to clean up the edges. Let dry.

Step 13: When the pink icing is dry, pipe on the brown icing for the hair, adding buns for Leia. Add two small pink dots on the side of Han’s head for his ears.

Step 14: Use the black icing to pipe facial features, and place a red heart sprinkle for Leia’s mouth.

Step 15: For Leia’s body pipe an outline of white icing onto the cookie, flood with icing, and let set. Once dry add a line across the diameter of the cookie for the belt. Let that dry. Go back in add small dots of icing to hold and place the silver pearls.

Step 16: For Han’s body add a rectangle of icing in the upper half of the cookie. Pipe the outline of a half moon in the lower half of the circle using the blue icing. Once that has dried go in and add red stripes on the sides of the half moon. Finally, add black to the sides of the white rectangle for the vest to complete the outfit.

Step 17: Once the icing has dried on all the cookies, they’re ready to serve.

Enjoy with the scoundrel or princess you love most.

Jenn Fujikawa is a lifestyle and food writer. Follow her on Twitter at @justjenn and check her Instagram @justjennrecipes and blog www.justjennrecipes.com for even more Star Wars food photos.