In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla and eggs. Mixing until just combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture a little at a time, stir and mix until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough- Remove about 2/3 of the dough to a separate bowl and set aside.

To the remaining 1/3 dough add several drops of food coloring, mixing and adding more food coloring until the dough reaches your desired hue.

Place the colored dough into the freezer for 5 minutes to chill. Then roll the dough out into about 1/2 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Return the dough to the freezer (I place it onto a paper plate for easy transfer) for about 20 minutes. Chilling the dough will make it easier to cut out the hearts without ruining their shape.

After 20 minutes, remove the colored dough from the freezer and then use a small heart cookie cutter (about 1.5 inches across) to cut out the hearts. Carefully re-roll the dough and repeat the process until all the colored dough is used.

Next, dip your finger in a little bit of water and lightly rub on the floured side of the cookie to help adhere it to another heart. Continue the process sticking the hearts together to create a stack. Note- be sure to not use too much water, a little goes a long ways.

Return the stack of hearts to the freezer for at least 30 minutes or until frozen solid.

After 30 minutes, remove the heart stack from the freezer and press the plain sugar cookie dough you set aside earlier directly onto and around the hearts. Make sure to press the dough together so you don't have any gaps. Roll the dough on the counter to create a smooth log shape.

Wrap the dough log in parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice the dough into 1/4 to 1/2 inch rounds, and place onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms and edges are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.