Description
These Cotton Candy Cookies are a delightful treat featuring soft, colorful dough swirled with pastel pink and blue hues and a hint of cotton candy flavor. Perfect for parties or any fun occasion, these cookies are light, fluffy, and topped with optional sprinkles for an extra touch of whimsy.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- Cotton candy flavoring (optional)
- Pink and blue food coloring
Optional Toppings
- Sprinkles (optional, for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light, fluffy, and well combined.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the large egg along with the vanilla extract and almond extract. If you want to enhance the cotton candy flavor, add cotton candy flavoring at this stage and mix well.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually incorporate the dry flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Mix just until combined to avoid overworking the dough.
- Divide and Color Dough: Split the dough evenly into two portions. Add pink food coloring to one portion and blue to the other. Knead gently to evenly distribute the colors.
- Shape Cookies: Roll small amounts of each colored dough into balls. Slightly flatten them into cookie shapes on the prepared baking sheet. Add sprinkles on top if desired for decoration.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set while the centers remain soft.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set further. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- For best results, use room temperature butter to ensure the creaming process creates a light, fluffy texture.
- Be careful not to overbake; cookies should have set edges but still be soft in the center.
- Adding cotton candy flavoring is optional, but it enhances the signature taste of these cookies.
- You can use gel food coloring for more vibrant colors without altering the dough consistency.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
