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Cotton Candy Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 142 reviews

Delightfully whimsical Cotton Candy Cookies that combine soft, fluffy textures with vibrant pink and blue swirls, offering a fun and playful treat reminiscent of your favorite carnival sweet. Lightly flavored with vanilla, almond, and optional cotton candy essence, these cookies are perfect for parties or a colorful snack any time.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp almond extract

Coloring & Flavoring

  • Pink food coloring, a few drops
  • Blue food coloring, a few drops
  • Cotton candy flavoring (optional), adjust to taste
  • Sprinkles (optional), for decoration

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the cookies do not stick and bake evenly.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. This helps to distribute all the leavening agents evenly throughout the flour for balanced rising.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter with granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and light in color, which creates a tender and soft cookie texture.
  4. Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully combined. If using cotton candy flavoring, add it here according to your preferred intensity.
  5. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently until just combined to avoid overmixing which can toughen the cookies.
  6. Divide and Color Dough: Divide the cookie dough evenly into two bowls. Add a few drops of pink food coloring to one half and blue food coloring to the other. Mix each dough well until the colors are fully incorporated.
  7. Form Cookie Balls: Take small portions of each colored dough and gently combine them by swirling or slightly folding to create a marbled effect. Roll the mixed dough into small balls, about 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter.
  8. Arrange and Decorate: Place the cookie balls evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. If desired, sprinkle the tops with sprinkles for a festive touch.
  9. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes or until the edges are set but the centers remain soft. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
  10. Cool Before Serving: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely, ensuring they hold their shape and texture.

Notes

  • For more intense cotton candy flavor, adjust the flavoring incrementally to avoid overpowering the cookie base.
  • Be careful not to overmix the dough once combined to keep the cookies tender.
  • Using parchment paper prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
  • Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • To enhance the marbled effect, fold the colored dough gently rather than fully combining.

Keywords: Cotton Candy Cookies, colorful cookies, marbled cookies, fun dessert, party cookies

Find it online: https://messykitchenmagic.com/cotton-candy-cookies-recipe/