Name: Frosted Circus Animal Cookies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: For the Cookie Dough: 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (I prefer using organic for richer flavor); 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for that dreamy softness); 1 large egg (room temperature for better mixing); 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (pure vanilla makes a difference!); 1/4 tsp almond extract (adds a lovely depth of flavor); Plenty of rainbow nonpareil sprinkles (because who doesn’t want festive sprinkles?); For the Icing: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 1/4 tsp vanilla extract; 4 Tbsp half-and-half (add more as needed); Pink food coloring (the star color of our frosting!)

Frosted Circus Animal Cookies

Print Recipe

A fun and festive treat featuring homemade vanilla cookies shaped like circus animals, topped with pink frosting and colorful sprinkles. Perfect for parties and kid-friendly baking.

Author: candy stephano
Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus chilling)
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes (plus cooling)
Yield: 24 cookies 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the Cookie Dough:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (I prefer using organic for richer flavor)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for that dreamy softness)
- 1 large egg (room temperature for better mixing)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (pure vanilla makes a difference!)
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (adds a lovely depth of flavor)
- Plenty of rainbow nonpareil sprinkles (because who doesn’t want festive sprinkles?)
For the Icing:
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 Tbsp half-and-half (add more as needed)
- Pink food coloring (the star color of our frosting!)

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Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using).
Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until a dough forms. Divide dough in half, shape into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Use animal-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes.
Place cookies on prepared sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Cool completely.
For frosting, whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add pink food coloring until desired color is reached.
Frost cooled cookies and immediately add sprinkles. Let frosting set before serving.

Notes

Chilling the dough is essential to prevent spreading during baking.
For a smoother frosting, sift the powdered sugar first.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
If you don’t have animal cutters, use any small shaped cutters or cut into circles.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cookie
Calories: 150
Sugar: 12g
Sodium: 25mg
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 4.5g
Unsaturated Fat: 2g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 21g
Fiber: 0g
Protein: 1g
Cholesterol: 25mg

Find it online: https://us.recipesfood.org/frosted-circus-animal-cookies/