These Sprinkle Cookies are thick, chewy, and delicious! The deep, rich flavor of browned butter and festive sprinkles make these cookies a year-round favorite!
3Tbspsmilk, at room temperature(I used whole milk)
¾cupsprinkles, divided(see note)
Instructions
To Brown the Butter
Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, swirl the pan occasionally to help promote even browning of the butter. Foam will form on top, this is normal!
As the butter browns, it will bubble and sputter and the foam will begin to dissipate a bit. Keep a close watch on the butter, as it's easy to burn! It's easy to know when the butter is done: it will be quiet! Just listen for the bubbling and sputtering to be nearly stopped, then it's perfectly browned! The browning process typically takes 10-15 minutes total.
After removing the browned butter from the heat, allow the butter to come to room temperature. Once at room temperature, place the pan in the refrigerator to help the butter solidify, which takes about 20 minutes. I stirred my brown butter after 10 minutes to help it solidify evenly and to redistribute the browned milk solids throughout the butter. Your goal is to have a "softened butter" texture to use in the recipe.
For Sprinkle Cookies
Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line baking sheets with parchment (see note) and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the browned butter and sugar until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add the eggs one at a time, allowing the first egg to incorporate before adding the second. Add the vanilla bean paste (see note) and milk and mix to combine.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
Stir ½ cup of the sprinkles into the dough by hand using a silicone spatula, taking care to not break up the sprinkles too much.
Portion the dough out into 1.5 tablespoon-size balls (see note on cookie scoop). Dip the tops of the dough balls into the remaining sprinkles, and place on the prepared baking sheets at least two inches apart. The sprinkles will stick best right after the dough balls are made. If you have issues with them sticking, dip the top of the dough ball in a small amount of water, shake off any excess water, then dip into the sprinkles.
Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just barely golden on the bottoms. Allow baked cookies to sit on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.Enjoy!
Notes
Note on Vanilla Bean Paste - I just love the punch of flavor from the vanilla bean paste! If you prefer, you can substitute with an equal measure of vanilla extract.Note on Sprinkles - Depending on what sprinkles you choose, it's possible that they may deterioratorate/bleed their color. A good rule of thumb to avoid this is to look for sprinkles that include "confectioner's glaze" in the list of ingredients.Nonstick Parchment - I like using nonstick parchment on my pans to ensure no sticking and for easier cleanup.Note on Cookie Scoop - I like to use a cookie scoop to portion out my cookies so they're all uniform in size, and it keeps my hands much cleaner. I've used both a small cookie scoop (which hold about 1 tablespoon of dough) and a medium cookie scoop (which holds about 1.5 tablespoons of dough) to make this recipe. Both size cookies bake up in the time range specified in the recipe card. The recipe yield in the recipe card is based off using a medium scoop. If you use a small scoop, you'll get about 3.5 dozen small cookies.