Description
Sweet cotton candy cookies deliver childhood nostalgia with a whimsical twist. Pastel-hued treats melt in your mouth, bringing playful memories of carnival delights right to your kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cotton candy extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 grams) light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Decorative Ingredients:
- ¼ cup cotton candy sprinkles (or colorful nonpareils)
- Optional: Pink and blue gel food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare the baking environment by heating the oven to 350F (175C) and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Create a creamy base by thoroughly blending softened butter with granulated and brown sugars until the mixture becomes airy and pale. Incorporate egg, vanilla, and cotton candy extract, ensuring complete integration.
- Separately combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt through gentle whisking. Gradually introduce these dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until just harmonized.
- Enhance the dough’s character by gently folding in cotton candy sprinkles. For a playful visual effect, separate the dough into two portions and delicately tint one pink and another blue, then softly swirl together without excessive mixing.
- Form uniform dough spheres using tablespoon-sized portions, carefully positioning them on the prepared baking sheet with sufficient spacing to allow expansion.
- Transfer the cookie-laden sheet into the preheated oven, allowing the edges to set and centers to remain slightly tender during an 8-10 minute baking period.
- After removing from the oven, permit cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a brief 5-minute cooling interval before transferring to a wire rack for complete temperature reduction.
- Once fully cooled, present these whimsical, cotton candy-inspired treats ready for delightful consumption.
Notes
- Swap extracts easily by using other flavors like strawberry or vanilla to create unique cookie variations.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking to prevent spreading and maintain a perfect round shape.
- Reduce sugar content by substituting some granulated sugar with a natural sweetener like stevia for a lower-calorie version.
- Use gluten-free flour blend to make these cookies suitable for those with wheat sensitivities without compromising texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg