Cotton Candy Pastel Cookies (Printable)
Soft pastel cookies bursting with sweet cotton candy flavor, perfect for parties and celebrations.
# What You 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 & Finish
11 - Pink and blue gel food coloring
12 - 1/4 cup colored sprinkles (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly distributed.
03 - In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and cotton candy flavoring until well combined and smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Divide the dough evenly into two bowls. Add pink gel food coloring to one bowl and blue to the other, folding gently until pastel shades are achieved.
07 - Pinch off a small piece from each colored dough and gently press them together to form a swirled ball. Place on the prepared baking sheets spaced about 2 inches apart. Optionally, roll each ball in sprinkles before placing on the sheet.
08 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are just set and the centers appear slightly underbaked.
09 - Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The cotton candy flavoring transforms a basic sugar cookie into something that genuinely tastes like a carnival.
- Swirling pink and blue dough together creates cookies that look almost too pretty to eat, but trust me, nobody holds back.
02 -
- Gel food coloring is non negotiable because liquid coloring will make the dough too sticky and the cookies will spread into sad flat puddles.
- Pulling the cookies from the oven when the centers still look slightly raw is the single trick that guarantees a chewy, soft texture the next day.
03 -
- Chill the shaped dough balls in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking to help them hold their round shape and keep the colors from blurring at the edges.
- A tiny pinch of cream of tartar in the dry ingredients adds a subtle tang that makes the cotton candy flavor taste less one note and more like the real thing.