I think we can all agree that there is something special about homemade sugar cookies. Mr. Sam loves sugar cookies, but the time commitment and the mess they make means I don’t make them often. But these little beauties right here speak to the sugar cookie loving part of my heart! And they do it with less mess and time, which equals more cookies and smiles for everyone!
Sparkling Sugar Cookies
I baked these cookies for the first time back in May for a Memorial Day party and they passed the family taste test with flying colors. Can we all agree to look past the fact that these cookies are in patriotic colors and there are no patriotic holidays on the horizon? I brainstormed several other color combos you might like below, so keep reading. 🙂
SUGAR
Let’s talk about sugar. Since these cookies aren’t iced, the colored sugar is what sends these cookies over the top. I have a sprinkle and colored sugar collection that I raided for this recipe. When you are shopping for colored sugar you’ll find a couple different options:
- Colored Sanding Sugar is basically colored granulated sugar. It is a fine sugar and gives the cookies a little crunch. I used this for the red cookies.
- Sparkling Sugar is a coarse-textured sugar and it gives the cookies a big crunch. I used this for the blue cookies and it’s my favorite choice for these cookies.Â
I found both kinds of sugar at my local Kroger and Target, and of course, Amazon. You can’t go wrong with whichever option you choose.
COLOR OPTIONS
- red and green for Christmas
- green for St. Patrick’s Day
- pink and red for Valentine’s day
- assorted pastels for Easter
- colored to match a birthday party
If you are looking for an iced sugar cookie, I posted these last year and while they are high maintenance, they are totally worth it!
Sparkling Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
- 2 ounces block cream cheese - room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg - room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup colored sugar
Instructions
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together on high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and mix on high speed until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Cover dough tightly and chill for about 1 hour. If the dough chills for more than 2 hours, let dough set at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes because dough will be quite hard.
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Pour colored sugar into a shallow bowl.
- Roll small balls of cookie dough, about 1 tablespoon each, roll each ball in colored sugar to coat. Place onto lined cookie sheet. Using a glass with a flat bottom, smash the cookies down about 1/2 way.
- Bake cookies for 12-13 minutes. Cookies will be lightly browned around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Notes
Did you try this recipe? Leave me a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
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