Buttery, soft vanilla cookies topped with cream cheese frosting and plenty of sprinkles. The perfect celebration cookie.
Ingredients
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 large egg
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream cheese frosting
- 60 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) cream cheese, softened
- 125 grams (1 cup) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Funfetti sprinkles, to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line two large baking trays or cookie sheets with baking paper or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar and beat using an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the vanilla extract, almond extract and egg and beat on medium speed until combined.
- Add the flour, baking soda and salt beat on low speed just until a soft cookie dough forms.
- Scoop out the cookie dough (roughly 2 tablespoons or 35 grams per cookie) and place on the prepared baking trays. Be sure to leave room for the cookies to spread as they bake.
- Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes or until just golden brown around the edges. Leave the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Make the cream cheese frosting. Place the butter and cream cheese in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add icing sugar and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Then turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix for another 1-2 minutes or until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
- To decorate, transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip or just use a spoon to swirl the frosting on top of each cookie. Add sprinkles on top of the frosting.
Notes
Caster sugar: You can use granulated sugar if you don’t have caster sugar.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla is one of the most important ingredients in these cookies. I love to use a high quality vanilla and be quite generous with the portions! You can also use vanilla bean paste if you prefer.
Almond extract: Just a small amount of almond extract enhances the ‘birthday cake’ flavour in these cookies. However, you can leave it out if you don’t have any.
Cream cheese: I recommend using a block or brick-style cream cheese for the frosting – full fat if you can!
Storage: Keep these cookies in an airtight container in the fridge.
Make-ahead: You can easily make the cookies a day ahead of time. Or to make them further in advance, you can make the cookie dough and freeze the balls in an airtight container. Then just bring them back to room temperature and bake as per the above instructions. You can also make the frosting ahead of time and store it in the fridge. Bring it back to room temperature, give it a stir (add a little milk if it’s a little thick) and then just pipe or spoon it on the baked cookies.
