Cotton Candy Cookies (Printable)
Light, pastel-colored cookies bursting with sweet cotton candy flavor, ideal for celebrations.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 1 large egg
09 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
10 - 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring (adjust to taste)
→ Color and Finish
11 - Pink and blue gel food coloring
12 - 1/4 cup colored sprinkles (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and packed light brown sugar using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add the large egg, vanilla extract, and cotton candy flavoring to the creamed butter mixture. Beat until fully combined and smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
06 - Divide the dough evenly into two separate bowls. Add pink gel food coloring to one portion and blue gel food coloring to the other, folding gently until soft pastel shades are achieved.
07 - Pinch off a small piece from each colored dough and gently press them together to form a swirled, multi-colored ball. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets, spacing each ball about 2 inches apart. Optionally, roll each dough ball in colored sprinkles before placing on the sheet.
08 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers still appear slightly underbaked for a soft texture.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before serving or storing.
# Expert Hacks:
01 -
- The cotton candy flavoring is pure magic and makes these taste like a carnival in cookie form.
- They look elaborate but the swirl technique is surprisingly forgiving even with kids helping.
- The pastel colors make them the star of any dessert table without needing complicated decorating skills.
02 -
- Overbaking is the enemy here because these cookies should look slightly pale and underdone in the center when you pull them out.
- Gel food coloring is non negotiable since liquid coloring will make the dough sticky and cause the cookies to spread into flat sad discs.
03 -
- Chill the shaped dough balls for 15 minutes in the fridge before baking to help them hold their round shape and prevent excessive spreading.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion the dough so every cookie is the same size and bakes evenly.