Create these Fanciful Funfetti-Inspired Cookies
Velvety soft cookies don't need an introduction, but I think confetti cookies require one. Confetti cookies are the bedazzled version of your usual plain and simple shortbread. They're the extra dash of fun that cookies never asked for. They're the eccentric sibling you often tease but secretly admire for their bold personality. Sometimes, we all need a bit of relaxed vibe. Start by indulging in your love for rainbow sprinkles with a batch of confetti cookies.
What are confetti cookies?
Initially, I had intended to bake Funfetti cookies. They would resemble regular cookies—crumbly, tall, and golden-brown—but would carry the flavors and colors of Funfetti cake mix. I planned to manipulate a box of Funfetti cake mix and slice it into colorful, crumbly cookies. The problem was, boxed cake mix is incredibly sturdy. You can add almost any (or barely any) liquid to the powdered mix and still end up with a fluffy cake layer.
Despite this knowledge, I still gave it a try. I cubed cold butter. I experimented with varying amounts of liquid. The dough always looked promising before going into the oven, and always came out as a uniform, cake-like layer.
My partner munched on a handful of my failed not-cookies and basically told me that even if I didn’t manage to turn the Funfetti boxed mix into cookies, it still tasted like cake. I think he meant it as an encouragement, but it made me think—I didn't actually want to Funfetti my cookies, I wanted to Funfetti my Funfetti. Not only does that taste better, but it's also much simpler.
How do you make confetti cookies?
Just so you know, now that I'm not using the trademarked Funfetti boxed mix, I have to call them confetti cookies. But you can call them whatever you want in the privacy of your own home. To Funfetti your cookies, just mix rainbow colored sprinkles into your cookie dough. Use about one tablespoon of sprinkles per cup of flour your recipe calls for. This is an astonishingly easy trick, but you must remember to mix them in at the end. Mix them in after the liquid goes in, just in your last few stirs. The water-soluble color ink is a no-no if added earlier; you'll end up with streaky colors, or worse, gray cookies.
You can Funfetti any cookie recipe you like. In a mood to lift your spirits but feeling lazy? Keep things easy with Funfetti drop cookies. Hosting a unicorn party for your nephew and need some strawberry shortcakes? Classic butter cookies are good, but Funfetti ones are even better.
Folding the cookies into the crumbly dough can result in some clusters, and that's okay.Credit: Allie Chanthorn ReinmannI tried both drop cookies and crumbly cookies and successfully Funfetted them both. Drop cookies are easier because you can simply add the sprinkles, mix a couple of times, and start scooping. With crumbly cookies, you have to be more careful not to overmix the dough after adding the sprinkles or you’ll lose the buttery crumbly texture.
Here’s a recipe for quick Funfetti drop cookies. The sprinkles are already a little sweet, but I upped the ante for these cookies by adding an extra teaspoon of vanilla extract and dusting them with extra granulated sugar after lightly egg washing the tops.
Quick Funfetti Drop Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar (+ more for sprinkling later)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 1⁄3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
- Egg wash
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- Mix the first four dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a measuring cup, combine the oil, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix a few times. Add the rainbow sprinkles and mix the dough a few more times until just combined. The mixture should be lumpy, but without any powdery areas.
- Scoop the dough onto the parchment paper in five or six cookie blobs, leaving an inch or so of space in between each cookie. Lightly egg wash the tops and sprinkle with extra granulated sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until fully risen and lightly browned on top. The cookies will have visible sprinkles on top, but the real Funfetti effect is when you crack them open and you can see the colorful spots within.
Although the original plan was to craft Funfetti cookies using a boxed mix, the sturdy nature of the mix proved challenging. Instead, I opted to Funfetti my Funfetti by mixing rainbow sprinkles directly into the cookie dough, ensuring a confetti cake batter taste without the cake-like consistency.
Crafting confetti cookies offers an exciting alternative to traditional drop cookies while still retaining the delightful taste of Funfetti cake mix.
