So You say it’s your birthday…

This world is filled with 3 types of people- cookie people, cake people, and pie people (wait, 4 types… let’s not forget the donut people…). Anyway, if you’re a cookie person, this recipe is for you. All the feels of a birthday cake, but with all the cookie goodness. Don’t wait for your birthday, celebrate yourself today! Remember, you deserve it.

INGREDIENTS:

| Cookies |

• 250 g (2 C) all-purpose flour

• 3/4 tsp. baking powder

• 1/4 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (like Diamond, use 1/4 tsp. if using Morton)

• 150 g (3/4 C) caster or granulated sugar (vegan-friendly)

• 50 g (1/4 C) dark brown sugar (vegan-friendly, can sub light)

• 128 g (1/2 C + 1 T) vegan butter (room temp)

• 1 T. vanilla extract

• 2 T oil (neutral )- I like grapeseed

• 1/4 C water (room temp)

• 6 T rainbow sprinkles (vegan-friendly)

• 2 oz white chocolate (vegan) very optional

| Vanilla Buttercream |

• 300-420 g (2 1/3 C- 3 1/2 C) confectioner/powder sugar (sifted)

• 170 g (3/4 C) vegan butter (room temp, unsalted preferred)

• 30 g ( 2 T) shortening (vegan-friendly)- can leave out and use all butter if you prefer

• 1-2 T plant milk

• 1-2 tsp. vanilla extract

• pinch of salt (can leave out if using salted butter)

You will need:

• Baking sheet

• Large bowl

• Hand or stand mixer

• Cooling rack(s)

• Whisk/ spatula

• Spoons or 2”cookie scooper

• Large container for dough

  
  Makes 14 cookies with 2” scooper to make 7 cookie sandwiches

{ Prep }

• Bring butter to room temp

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350° F

COOKIES

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, add room temp butter and both granulated and brown sugars- mix on low speed until the mixture starts to come together, then turn to medium-high to mix for about minutes.

2. Add in water and oil and continue to mix on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Your mixture is going to look broken when you add in the water and oil- that’s ok! Give it a couple of minutes mixing and it will come back good as new.

3. Mix in the dry ingredients- Add baking soda and powders along with salt. I like to sift in my flour, but you don’t have to. Mix at a low speed just until the dough comes together. We don’t have to be as cautious with cookies as a cupcake or cake because a little chew is nice, however, we still don’t want to over mix (which activates the gluten).

4. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and make sure that there are no dry spots of flour. Mix again for 30 seconds.

5. Add in the 4 tablespoons of the sprinkles and white chocolate (if you are using)- fold the ingredients into the dough with a spatula until well combined.

6. Use your ice cream scooper to scoop out the dough onto your baking tray or container and sprinkle the tops with the remaining sprinkles. We’re going to let the cookies rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour. You can also make these a day ahead and let them sit overnight for maximum flavor, but it’s not necessary. Also, if you don’t want to make all the cookies right away, place them in a covered freezer-safe container and keep them in the freezer for up to a month.

7. After the dough has rested, bring them out of the refrigerator (or freezer). If you stored them in a container, pop them onto a cookie sheet and place them on the middle rack of your oven- bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes. Since every oven is different, I would start checking them at the 10-minute mark.

8. When cookies are done, remove them from the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes, then remove to cool further on a cooling rack. Let the cookies cool completely before adding the buttercream.

BUTTERCREAM

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix room temp butter and shortening (if using) on medium-low speed for 3-4 minutes so that the mixture becomes soft and fluffy. If you want nice silky buttercream, don’t skip this step.

2. Slowly mix in sifted powder sugar into butter mixture with a spoon or spatula (so the sugar doesn’t fly everywhere). I would start with the lower amount of sugar and slowly add more if you want to. Remember- everybody’s sugar threshold is different and it is much easier to add than take away.

3. Continue to mix on low until the sugar has incorporated and not flying around, then turn the mixer up to medium/medium-high and beat for 1 minute.

4. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure that all the ingredients are getting fully combined.

5. Add in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk (start slow, you can always add more), then mix for another 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until buttercream is soft and fluffy.  

6. Scrape down your bowl again to make sure that all the buttercream ingredients are well combined and mix for another 30 seconds if needed.

7. I didn’t, but if you like a lot of sprinkles, you can always add a tablespoon or two- just fold it in with a spatula so they don’t bleed into the buttercream.

8. Pipe or dollop buttercream onto half of your cookies, then top them with the remaining cookies.

9. Enjoy!

I hope you give this recipe a try and share them with someone you love on their special day. If you do, let me know how it turned out!

Thanks for spending some time,

xxx Debbie xxx