Confetti Cookies

I can’t think of a cheerier treat than these sprinkle-splattered cookies. They’re basically an amped up sugar cookie, made way better with a couple simple additions. The dough calls for both butter and cream cheese, which makes your cookies softer and cakier than most sugar cookies out there. You’re also gonna add in some almond extract, which gives the cookies a more more complex flavor than standard sugar cookie fare. Most people can’t tell there’s almond in there… but it definitely makes things tasty.

I made these for a dinner party and they were a truly awesome party pick. The recipe yields tons of cookies, they’re easy to transport and they’re a crowd pleaser. They also keep well: You can store them in a container for a couple days or freeze dough for later. 

The original recipe shared two sets of instructions so you could pick between using a food processor or a mixer. I was already using my mixer for somethin’ else while I baked these, so I used my food processor this time around. If you only have a mixer, check out Smitten Kitchen’s original post for detailed instructions! 

 

Original recipe: Smitten Kitchen

Yield: ~ 4 dozen cookies

Suggested equipment: Food processor or mixer

Total Time: ~An hour

Cook Time: ~10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt (you can swap in table salt instead)
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup cream cheese (1/4 of an 8 oz brick)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional, but definitely recommend using it!)
• 1 cup sprinkles (Recommend using jimmies like this so they stick better)

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 375F
2. Assemble your food processor with the metal blade.
3. Put your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the food processor. Pulse a few times to blend.
4. Slice your cream cheese and butter into large chunks, then put them in the processor. Blend until the mixture gets powdery.
5. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract. Run machine until the ingredients form a dough and start to ball together. You should stop to scrape things down a couple times while you mix.
6. Chill your dough for 20 minutes so it’s easier to roll into balls.
7. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop your dough into sizeable balls. Deb from Smitten Kitchen recommends using a 1.5 tablespoon scoop to make sure they’re the right size. Make sure your dough balls are about 2 inches apart on the sheet.
8. Roll each ball in your hands to heat it up a bit. This makes the dough tackier, which makes it easier to roll in sprinkles! Then, drop your ball into the sprinkles and roll it around to coat evenly.
9. Use the bottom of a glass to press down on each cookie so it’s about 1/4-1/2 inch tall.
10. Bake for 9-10 minutes. They’ll look a bit underbaked on top, but golden underneath. You want them to be a bit underbaked so they stay soft over time… if you bake these all the way through to start with, they’ll crisp up faster.
11. Let your cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them over to racks to cool completely.