Soft Colorful Crinkle Cookies (Print Version)

Soft pastel cookies with a classic crackled sugar coating, perfect for spring celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 large eggs
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ For Color & Rolling

08 - Gel food coloring (pastel pink, yellow, green, or blue)
09 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for rolling

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy.
04 - Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until just combined.
06 - Divide the dough evenly into 3 or 4 bowls. Tint each portion with a different food coloring, mixing gently until the color is uniform.
07 - Refrigerate the colored doughs for 20 minutes to make handling easier.
08 - Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of dough, roll into balls, and coat generously in powdered sugar.
09 - Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
10 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and crackled but still soft in the center.
11 - Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The crackled sugar coating makes them look like little frosted jewels
  • One dough becomes four different colors for barely any extra effort
  • They stay unbelievably soft for days if you can resist eating them all first
02 -
  • Chilling the dough is nonnegotiable or the colors will bleed together and the cookies will spread too thin
  • Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar right before baking or the coating will absorb into the dough
  • Underbake slightly by pulling them out when the edges look set but centers still feel soft
03 -
  • Use a cookie scoop for uniform size so they all bake at the same rate
  • Work quickly when rolling the chilled dough or your warm hands will start to soften it
  • The powdered sugar coating is what creates the crackle effect so do not be shy with it

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