Cotton Candy Cookies (Print Page)
Soft pastel-swirled cookies with subtle cotton candy flavor, perfect for parties and fun celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Wet Ingredients
05 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
06 - 1 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
08 - 2 large eggs
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 - 1/2 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
→ Color and Garnish
11 - Pink and blue gel food coloring
12 - 1/2 cup cotton candy, for optional garnish and extra flavor
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
04 - Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and cotton candy flavoring to the butter mixture. Beat until smooth and fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
06 - Divide the dough evenly into two bowls. Add a few drops of pink gel food coloring to one half and blue to the other. Mix each until the color is uniform throughout.
07 - Pinch off a small portion of each colored dough and gently roll them together in your palms to form a 1.5-inch ball with a marbled appearance. Arrange on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart.
08 - Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still feel soft.
09 - Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - If desired, top each cooled cookie with a small tuft of cotton candy just before serving for a whimsical, decorative finish.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The marbled pink and blue dough looks like something out of a dream, and no two cookies ever turn out the same.
- Kids lose their minds over these, but honestly adults sneak just as many when nobody is watching.
02 -
- Cotton candy melts almost instantly on warm cookies, so wait until they are completely cool before adding any garnish or you will have a sticky puddle instead of a fluffy cloud.
- Using clear vanilla extract instead of the regular brown kind keeps the dough color bright and true, which I discovered after accidentally turning my pink dough a muddy salmon.
03 -
- Chill the dough for twenty minutes before shaping if your kitchen is warm, because firm dough holds the marble pattern much better than soft sticky dough.
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through the bake time for even coloring, since most ovens have hot spots that will brown one side faster than the other.