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Circus Animal Sugar Cookies

Delightful and colorful cookies inspired by Circus Animal Cookies, perfect for any celebration or as a sweet indulgence.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 175
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cookie Dough
  • 1 cup butter (room temperature) This creamy butter is the base of our cookie dough, giving it a rich flavor and tender texture.
  • 1¾ cup all-purpose flour This versatile flour provides the structure for our cookies.
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar Adds sweetness to the dough.
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract Enhances the overall taste of the cookies.
For the Frosting
  • 1 cup butter (room temperature) Second helping of creamy butter for frosting.
  • 3½-4 cups powdered sugar For frosting consistency.
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract Flavor enhancement for frosting.
  • 2-4 tbsp heavy cream To achieve desired frosting consistency.
  • sprinkles Colorful additions for decoration.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 350℉ and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream together 1 cup of room temperature butter and 1½ tsp of vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
  3. Gradually add 1¾ cups of all-purpose flour and ¾ cup of powdered sugar while the mixer is on low until the dough begins to form a ball.
  4. Scoop out the dough using a 2-inch cookie scoop onto the lined cookie sheets, leaving about two inches of space between each cookie.
  5. Gently flatten each cookie to about ½ inch thick using a cup or measuring cup.
  6. Bake one cookie sheet at a time for 13-15 minutes or until edges are light golden brown.
  7. Remove cookies from the baking sheet and let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
Frosting
  1. In a clean stand mixer, cream together 1 cup of butter and 2 tsp of vanilla extract for the frosting.
  2. Gradually add in 3½-4 cups of powdered sugar, mixing on low until well combined.
  3. Add 2-4 tbsp of heavy cream until you reach your desired frosting consistency and add food coloring as desired.
Decoration
  1. Frost the cookies using a piping bag with a star tip, swirling outward for design.
  2. Generously sprinkle colorful sprinkles on top and optionally garnish with Circus Animal Cookies.

Notes

Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it's too soft. Experiment with flavors like almond extract or lemon zest. Adjust food coloring for different occasions.