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GIANT COOKIES
A big cookie for a big sweet tooth, or for sharing with a big group of friends, or for a hearty breakfast. Whatever the reason to go big, supersizing is simply big fun.
PERFECTING
SUGAR COOKIES
Classic sugar cookies take baking back to basics. But in their simplicity lies their perfection: It’s hard to beat the delicate flavor of cookies with only the most elemental of ingredients. Here, we veered from tradition in just a few details: We added sour cream to make them extra soft, and we made them giant because that’s how much we adore them. Lemon glaze and candied citrus zest offer a bit of adornment, while homemade sprinkles supply some old-fashioned charm.
MAKES 10
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat well to combine.
2. With mixer on low, add half the flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture; mix just until smooth. (Dough will be stiff; you may need to finish mixing it with a wooden spoon.)
3. Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop dough (3 tablespoons) and drop on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 3 to 4 inches apart.
4. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies are just firm and tops are barely beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.)
VARIATIONS
Glazed with Citrus
Dip cooled cookies in Lemon Glaze (this page), letting excess drip back into bowl, at end of step 4. Transfer to a wire rack and immediately decorate with candied citrus (see this page); let set.
With Sprinkles
At end of Step 2, stir in about half of the Homemade Sprinkles. At end of Step 3, pat remaining Homemade Sprinkles around scooped dough.
Homemade Sprinkles
MAKES 1¼ CUPS
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pink, peach, and fuchsia gel-paste food coloring
1. Combine sugar, 2 tablespoons water, corn syrup, and vanilla in a small bowl. Stir until mixture has consistency of glue, adding more water if necessary, ¼ teaspoon at a time. Divide into 3 small bowls; tint with food coloring until desired color is achieved.
2. Transfer lightest-colored mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip (such as Ateco #2). Pipe long, thin lines onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with medium-colored mixture, then with darkest-colored mixture. Let stand, uncovered, until very firm, at least overnight. Once lines are dry, break or cut into small pieces.
● Try different flavorings for the dough: freshly grated zest from half a lemon or a tablespoon of cognac. Add in step 1, right after the vanilla.
● When you’re making the candied orange and lemon zest, leave most of the fruit’s pith on the citrus peel. It adds heft, not bitterness as it does when uncooked.
● To give plain sugar cookies a delicate crust, sprinkle scooped cookie dough with a double layer of sanding or granulated sugar. Sprinkle dough once, then lightly brush with a pastry brush moistened in cool water, then sprinkle with more sanding sugar. Refrigerate before baking.
● Store-bought sprinkles can leave a waxy taste in your mouth. But homemade sprinkles just taste like sugar and vanilla. The extras will keep in an airtight container at room temperature up to a month.
● For the homemade sprinkles, when tinting with food coloring, try dipping a toothpick into the food coloring and adding to the sugar mixture. Adding color a little at a time this way helps you better control the desired shade.
● If you prefer soft cookies, slightly underbake them. They should be golden around the edges but can remain pale in the center.
● These are technically “old-fashioned,” as they are drop cookies. As with any drop cookie with a high sugar content, if your cookies come out slightly misshapen, take a small offset spatula and shape the edges. Do this as soon as the cookies come out of the oven, as they’re more malleable when hot.
● Give sugar cookies enough time to cool on wire racks before moving them—they need to firm up a bit first.
Kitchen-Sink Cookies
MAKES 8
Tart dried fruit, toasted nuts, chocolate, rolled oats, even coconut flakes (which are slightly thicker and more “meaty” than shredded coconut)—everything but the kitchen sink is included in this recipe. If you’re making a cookie this good, think big. Really big.
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup large unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup pecans, toasted (see this page)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low, beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in vanilla.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. With mixer on low, gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well combined. Add oats, coconut, apricots, chocolate, cherries, and pecans, and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
3. Scoop dough into 8 balls (¾ cup each). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Use the palm of your hand to flatten into 4-inch rounds. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
TIP
Feel free to customize the add-ins: If you don’t like pecans, use walnuts; try cranberries instead of cherries. Just make sure there’s enough space between the cookies, as they spread in the oven.
Chocolate–Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
Baking doesn’t get any easier than this big cookie with the double hit of fudgy flavor. All the ingredients can be stirred in a single bowl, and there’s no scooping and portioning the dough. Just mix, pour into a nonstick skillet, bake, and slice. The wedges are especially delicious warm, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1½ cups (10 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until combined. Stir in egg and vanilla; then flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in chocolate chips.
2. Transfer batter to a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake, rotating halfway through, until just set in center and pulling away from sides, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool, about 10 minutes, before slicing and serving.
TIP
For a chocolate-chip topping, reserve ¼ cup chocolate chips for sprinkling on top before baking.
“Jamaretti” Cookies
MAKES 4 LARGE COOKIES/ABOUT 3 DOZEN SERVINGS
Think of these sliced, almond-flavored, jam-filled cookies as a super-sized hybrid of biscotti and thumbprints. Here, instead of pressing the center of each round of dough, as you would a typical thumbprint, the dough remains in logs. You use the handle of a wooden spoon to form a trench to fill with jam, then bake and slice them like you would biscotti.
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup almond paste
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup jam (blackberry, raspberry, or apricot)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
4 teaspoons whole milk
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a food processor, pulse almond paste and granulated sugar until smooth. Add butter and eggs to sugar mixture, and blend until smooth. Add flour mixture and pulse until dough forms. Divide into 4 equal pieces, wrap in plastic, and chill 30 minutes. (At this point, dough can be frozen up to 1 week; just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before using.)
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 10-inch log. Transfer logs to 2 parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten to about 2 inches across. Bake until just dry, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, make a trench down center of each log. Spread 2 tablespoons jam into each trench. Return to oven and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over logs. Let glaze harden, about 20 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1-inch slices. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
Mighty Australian Ginger Cookies
MAKES 1 DOZEN
Ginger lovers can unite over what Australians call ginger nuts, a favorite cookie Down Under. There are no nuts in the recipe, though our version goes a little nutty over the main ingredient, calling for ginger three ways—dried, fresh, and crystallized.
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon coarse salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup golden syrup
¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger
¼ cup fine sanding sugar
1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, pepper, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter, brown and granulated sugars, and grated ginger until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add golden syrup and continue to beat, scraping down sides as necessary, until thoroughly combined. Mix in crystallized ginger. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
2. Using a ¼-cup ice cream scoop, drop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If dough becomes soft, refrigerate 20 minutes.) Roll dough into balls between your palms, then roll in sanding sugar to coat. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 17 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
TIP
This recipe calls for golden syrup, a thick amber liquid made from cane sugar that’s authentic to Australian ginger nuts. We like Lyle’s Golden Syrup, available online or at specialty food markets. We recommend giving it a try, but if you can’t find it, substitute honey.
Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies
MAKES 1 DOZEN
Stuffing a huge chocolate-packed cookie with creamy caramel may seem a bit over the top. But when it comes to cookies, we’re willing to go there. The secret to baking this combination for full-on melting effect is freezing the scoops of caramel-filled dough for just 15 minutes before baking. The center then cooks more slowly, and you achieve a blissful balance of melted interiors and crispy edges. If you prefer your cookies super-chewy, let the dough freeze all the way through.
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 sticks (1 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
18 caramels, halved
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, mix together flour, both sugars, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add butter and beat on medium until combined but some pea-size butter pieces remain. Add chocolate chips and beat until combined. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.
2. Scoop dough into 4-ounce balls (each about ⅓ cup); make a deep, wide hollow in each center. Enclose 3 pieces of caramel in each and roll back into a ball. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
3. Bake cookies 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F, rotate sheets, and continue to bake until centers are almost but not completely set (press gently on tops with your fingers to check), 7 to 10 minutes more. Bang baking sheets on a counter a few times to create cracks in tops of cookies. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks and let cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
TIP
While most of our recipes call for butter to be at room temperature, this cookie requires cold butter, as it would be if you were making a pie crust. The butter is then coated with flour as you mix the ingredients, which results in a more tender cookie.
Breakfast Cookies to Share
MAKES 10 LARGE OR 20 MEDIUM COOKIES
A cookie for breakfast? Yes, if it’s one of these giant granola-like versions, packed with nuts, fruits, and seeds, perfect for coffee and friends. (But we won’t tell if you keep it just for yourself.) They’re inspired by the ones Randell Dodge, owner of Red Barn Bakery, bakes for the Bedford Farmers’ Market.
2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon coarse salt
4 sticks (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw almonds, coarsely chopped
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup raisins or currants
½ cup finely chopped dried mango
½ cup finely chopped dried papaya
1 cup banana chips
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking soda, and salt.
2. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in sugar until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla until just combined.
3. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Add oats, almonds, both seeds, coconut, raisins, mango, and papaya, and mix to combine.
4. Scoop dough into 8 cookies (1 cup each) or 16 cookies (½ cup each). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets (2 large or 4 medium cookies per sheet), spacing about 3 inches apart. Top with banana chips, gently pressing down to adhere.
5. Bake cookies, rotating halfway through, until golden and firm, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets, 25 to 30 minutes. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.)
TIP
Be sure to use unsweetened coconut in these cookies, as the dried fruit and brown sugar provide enough sweetness.
Giant White-Chocolate Pecan Cookies
MAKES ABOUT 10
This crisp-chewy, oversized treat will give you a lot to love. White chocolate, made from cocoa butter, milk, and sugar, supplies some extra sweet notes. Its name is a little misleading—white chocolate isn’t technically “chocolate,” since it contains no cacao solids. We recommend using a high-quality white chocolate for delicate, creamy pockets of goodness.
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (½ cup) plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped into ½- to ¾-inch pieces
8 ounces pecans, toasted (see this page) and coarsely chopped
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda to combine.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg, then egg yolk, until thoroughly incorporated. Beat in vanilla. With a mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined. Beat in white chocolate and pecans until just combined.
3. Using a 4-ounce (2¾-inch) ice cream scoop, drop scoops of the dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets (2 scoops per sheet), spacing 3 inches apart. Gently press to flatten.
4. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden but still soft in center, about 14 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheets. Serve warm, or transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
Big Almond-Orange Ginger Cookie
SERVES 8 TO 10
A citrusy, streusel-topped bar cookie can be as large as you’d like, and cut into generous pie-like wedges or squares. Here, the streusel does double duty as both crust and topping. Meaning “something strewn” in Old German, streusel can be tossed together in a minute, yet adds so much to the finished dessert.
1 stick (½ cup) plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
1½ cups (7½ ounces) blanched almonds, toasted (see this page) and finely ground
¾ cup orange marmalade
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup sugar
½ teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter bottom and sides of an 8-by-11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (see Tip). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cardamom. Whisk in ground almonds.
2. In a small bowl, stir together marmalade and lemon juice.
3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter with sugar, orange zest, and ginger until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low just until clumps begin to form, about 30 seconds. Press 3 packed cups of mixture into bottom and up sides of prepared pan. Spread marmalade mixture over crust. Crumble remaining flour–butter mixture over top, creating clumps.
4. Bake 25 minutes. Reduce heat to 300°F, rotate pan, and continue baking until light golden brown and firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. Remove cookie from pan, running a spatula between cookie and base to release. (Store cookie in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days.)
TIP
You can also make this in a 10-inch springform pan.
Scottish Shortbread
MAKES ONE 8-INCH ROUND
A couple of ingredients are key to these “butter biscuits.” Rice flour has long been the secret of Scottish bakers for making shortbread with the perfect sandy texture. And with such a short ingredient list, it’s important to use the best-quality salted butter you can find—it adds that distinct flavor and balances the sweetness. Shortbread keeps well in an airtight container, and its flavor even improves after a few days.
1½ sticks (¾ cup) salted butter, room temperature, plus more for mold (see Tip)
¾ cup superfine sugar
1¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup white rice flour
1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter an 8-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom, or a pie dish. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and sugar until well combined. Add both flours and mix on low until just combined and a shaggy dough forms.
2. Firmly press dough into pan in an even layer. Cut a round from center using a 1½-inch cookie cutter; discard. Place cutter back in center. Using a sharp knife, cut shortbread into wedges. Using a fork, prick the dough to prevent shortbread from bubbling as it bakes. Bake until edges just begin to turn golden, about 1 hour, 15 minutes, checking at 1 hour. Remove from oven; turn oven off. Let shortbread cool in pan, 10 minutes.
3. Separate wedges, recutting if necessary, then return sheet to off oven until shortbread is dry, at least 1 hour. Transfer sheet to wire rack and let cool completely. (Shortbread can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks.)
TIP
Use a European or European-style butter with a high butterfat percentage, such as Kerrygold.
Jumbo Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
MAKES 8
When we supersized the classic oatmeal cookie, we made room for three different kinds of raisins: dark, golden, and Monukka. Large and rich in flavor, the Monukka variety proves to be a pleasing addition; but if you have trouble finding it, simply use 1½ cups each dark and golden raisins.
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups raisins, preferably a mixture of dark, golden, and Monukka
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low, beat in eggs, one at a time, and then vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low until well combined. Mix in oats and raisins until just combined.
2. Scoop dough into 8 balls (¾ cup each). Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Use the palm of your hand to flatten into 4-inch rounds. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.)
TIP
If you want to swap out the raisins for another dried fruit, cranberries, sour cherries, or diced apricots could stand in nicely.
Extraordinary Chocolate Chip Cookies
MAKES 14
More than four cups of chocolate chips put this cookie in the extra-special, extra-chocolatey category. It has just the right proportion of sugar to flour and butter, which results in crisp edges and delightfully chewy centers. It’s everything a chocolate chip cookie should be, and then some.
2¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2½ sticks (1¼ cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
1¼ cups packed dark brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time; add vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat until just combined. Add chocolate chips; mix until evenly distributed throughout. Refrigerate dough at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a 4-ounce (2¾-inch) ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden around the edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.)
TIP
Chilling dough overnight results in a more concentrated sweetness and prevents the cookie from spreading too thin when baked. Why? Because the chilled, solidified butter takes longer to melt, hence longer to spread; the dough is also drier, and sugar breaks down for a deeply sweet treat.
Everyday Celebration Cookies
MAKES 4
Perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or any momentous occasion, this cakey cookie is topped with fluffy vanilla buttercream and colorful nonpareils. Play with different variations—we also loved how sugar pearls looked (see this page) and how chocolate frosting tasted (just beat 6 ounces melted and cooled bittersweet chocolate into the Basic Buttercream recipe). With so many options, why wait for a special event? The cookie itself is something to celebrate.
2½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup cream cheese, room temperature
1½ cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ recipe Basic Buttercream (this page)
Multicolored nonpareils, for decorating
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. In a large bowl, with a mixer on medium-high, beat butter, cream cheese, and sugar until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined. With mixer on low, gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined. Shape dough into a disk 1 inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough evenly into 4 rounds and roll, or press using your flattened palms, into ½-inch-thick circles. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until puffed and set but still soft when gently pressed in the center, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Using a small offset spatula, frost with buttercream in gentle swoops; immediately sprinkle with nonpareils before frosting sets. (Cookies are best eaten the day they are made.)