Trials and Tribulations of Sprinkled Cookies #ChristmasCookies #RecipeTesting #Sponsored

 This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sprinkle Pop, a #ChristmasCookies sponsor.
I received complimentary product for the purpose of review and recipe development,

but all opinions are honest and they are my own. This page may contain affiliate links.

I'll start with this: I'm a sprinkle novice. I mean, I've purchased sprinkles before, but I haven't used them often enough. Clearly. But, when Sprinkle Pop* signed on to be an event sponsor for a December event, I selected the sprinkle collections I wanted to use and waited for the shipment. And when they arrived, I jumped right in. 

I had an idea of what I wanted the cookies to look like and made a batch of simple sugar cookies; I covered the top with the sprinkles - before baking. Needless to say, the cookies flattened, as I expected, but the sprinkles melted, unexpectedly. Whoops. They tasted good, but they weren't pretty. And, in my mind, the whole point of sprinkles is pretty! So, I shrugged my shoulders and thought to myself, "The sprinkles must be adhered after baking!"

I did a second trial with an almond cookie base, topping the cookie with royal icing, and then adding the sprinkles. In case you're curious, the sprinkle collections photographed in this post are: American Hero Sprinkle Mix (the green one) and Pink Ombre Sprinkle Mix (the pink one).

Although my peanut gallery did ask, "Mommy, why did you make cookies that look like the ones at the grocery store? Your cookies usually taste great, but look - ummmm - not so great." Thanks. 

'Brutti ma buoni' is definitely my kitchen motto. But these are pretty and tasty. Success.

Ingredients 

makes approximately 30 cookies

Almond Cookie

• 3/4 C butter, room temperature
• 3/4 C organic granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 C flour
• 1/2 C ground almonds
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 1 t pure almond extract
• Also needed: parchment paper, baking sheet, and cooling rack

Royal Icing

• 2 egg whites, or more to thin icing
• 4 C organic powdered sugar, or more to thicken icing
• juice from one organic lemon
• food coloring, optional

To Finish

• sprinkles

Procedure

Almond Cookie

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg yolks until incorporated. Stir in the flour and ground almonds until a flaky dough is formed. Add in the extracts, gently working the dough until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes before proceeding. While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

  

Pinch off pieces of dough and form into small balls, about the size of a walnut in its shell. Place each ball onto a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet.

Flatten the balls to between 1/4" and 1/2". You can use your hand or a rolling pin. I used my wooden fermenting tamper!

Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cookies cool for several minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Royal Icing

Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar and lemon juice. Beat for another minute. If the icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it's too thin, add more sugar.

  

Add food coloring if you desire. This icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To Finish

Spread the royal icing over cooled cookies and add sprinkles. Let icing set before storing or serving.

Find the Sponsor

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*Disclosure: I received product for free from the sponsor for recipe development, however, 

I have received no additional compensation for my post. My opinion is 100% my own and 100% accurate.