Description

Delight in these vibrant Circus Animal Sugar Cookies, bursting with colorful nonpareils and topped with iconic circus animal cookies. This recipe produces a soft, sweet cookie infused with vanilla and enhanced by the playful crunch of crushed circus animal cookie pieces throughout. Perfect for parties or a fun baking project, these cookies yield 24 irresistible treats that are as visually delightful as they are delicious.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

3 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients

1 cup of butter, melted
1 2/3 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Add-ins and Toppings

3 tablespoons of nonpareils
16 crushed Circus Animal cookies
1 package of Circus Animal cookies for topping

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Instructions

Prepare the Dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine the melted butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined to form a soft dough.
Add Crushed Cookies and Nonpareils: Gently fold in the crushed Circus Animal cookies and nonpareils, ensuring an even distribution throughout the dough without overmixing.
Shape Cookies: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop dough portions and roll into balls, then flatten slightly. Place a whole Circus Animal cookie on top of each dough ball, pressing gently to adhere.
Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. Be careful not to overbake to retain softness.
Cool and Serve: Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these colorful, crunchy, and soft treats!

Notes

Use room temperature eggs for better mixing.
Do not overbake to keep cookies soft and chewy.
For more color, increase nonpareils amount slightly.
Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Crushing the Circus Animal cookies adds texture and extra flavor inside the dough.