Birthday Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup colorful sprinkles
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
Buttercream Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- Additional colorful sprinkles for decoration
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and granulated sugar using a handheld mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking powder.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
6. Fold in the colorful sprinkles, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips. Mix until they are evenly distributed in the dough.
7. Using a quarter cup or a 2 tablespoon scoop, drop portions of dough onto a lined baking sheet. Use your hands to shape the dough into round cookies and slightly flatten them.
8. Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes for soft cookies or 14 minutes for firmer cookies.
9. Allow the cookies to cool completely before frosting.
10. To make the buttercream frosting, cream together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk until creamy and smooth.
11. Once the cookies are cooled, frost them with the buttercream frosting using a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
12. Decorate the frosted cookies with additional colorful sprinkles.
13. Store the cookies in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Optional: You can freeze the baked cookies (without frosting) or the cookie dough. To freeze the baked cookies, let them cool completely and then place them in a freezer-safe container, labeled and dated. To freeze the dough, freeze the dough balls on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to freezer-safe zipper bags. When ready to bake, simply bake the frozen dough or thawed cookies as instructed and adjust baking time if necessary.
