Valentine’s Day is here, just in time for some sweet science! Explore the galaxies and satisfy your sweet tooth with this recipe. After a great evening of science and chocolate at WonderLab’s annual Chocolate AfterDark, we are ready to jump into the kitchen. Join us and share your creations with us on our social media!

WonderLab’s Galaxy Cookies

This recipe will make at least two dozen cookies, but can be cut in half for a smaller batch.

Ingredients

2 c. unsalted butter (room temperature)

2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp. iodized salt

1 T. vanilla extract

5 c. all-purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350º F. Combine butter and sugar using a stand or hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time and mix. Mix in salt and vanilla. Add flour and mix carefully until just combined. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4 – 3/8 inch thick. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter or a knife to cut out cookies. Chill for at least 10 minutes. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets for 10-12 minutes, until edges are golden brown and center no longer looks wet.

Galaxy Icing

(Don’t forget to cut the icing recipe in half if you do it for the cookies!)

Ingredients

3 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tbsp milk

3 tbsp light corn syrup

3/4 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tsp vanilla + 1/4 tsp almond extract

Red and blue food coloring

Instructions

Combine powdered sugar, milk, light corn syrup, and extract(s). Whisk or mix with a hand or stand mixer until smooth. Scoop up some icing with a spoon and let it drizzle into the bowl. You should be able to see where you drizzled the icing for about 10 seconds. If it’s too thick, add milk a couple drops at a time. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Divide icing into four medium sized bowls and cover three of them so they don’t dry out. Starting with the uncovered bowl, add in drops of blue and red food coloring and swirl around with a toothpick, until it has a galaxy-like pattern. (You can also mix food coloring into different shades of purple before adding them to the icing for a more varied pattern!) When you like the way your galaxy looks, dip the surface of each cookie into the glaze and then set aside to dry. After several cookies, when the first bowl gets too muddled, move on to the second one and create a whole new galaxy!