Cotton Candy Cookies (Print Version)
Soft pastel cookies swirled in pink and blue with sweet cotton candy flavor, perfect 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 (or to taste)
→ Color & Finish
11 - Pink and blue gel food coloring
12 - 1/4 cup colored sprinkles (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the 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 using an electric or stand mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and packed brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and cotton candy flavoring until fully incorporated and smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
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 of dough from each colored portion and gently press them together to form a swirled, multi-colored ball. Place on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Optionally, roll each 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. Remove from the oven.
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 Advice:
01 -
- The cotton candy flavoring makes these taste like a carnival in cookie form, and nobody expects that kind of whimsy from a homemade treat.
- Splitting the dough into pink and blue halves looks impressive but takes almost no extra effort, which is my favorite kind of showmanship.
02 -
- Overbaking is the fastest way to ruin these because the delicate cotton candy flavor turns bitter at high heat, so err on the side of underdone.
- Gel food coloring is nonnegotiable since liquid coloring will make the dough sticky and the baked cookies will spread into sad, thin puddles.
03 -
- Chill the colored dough for fifteen minutes before shaping if your kitchen is warm, because firm dough holds the marbled pattern much better during baking.
- Dab the gel coloring onto the dough with a toothpick rather than squeezing straight from the tube to avoid oversaturating the color.