Jelly Bean Sugar Cookies
Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
Yield: 30 cookies
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 bag of jelly beans
Directions:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until creamed, about 1 minute. Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. The dough will be thick and a little sticky. Scoop dough (about 1 Tablespoon of dough each) and roll into balls. Place dough balls onto a large plate or lined baking sheet.
Cover and chill the cookie dough balls in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours and up to 4 days.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
Arrange chilled cookie dough balls 3 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft.
Remove from the oven and allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. Press a couple of jelly beans into the center of the warm cookies. (Cooling for only 3 minutes is the magic number so the jelly beans stick!) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Notes:
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough, roll it into balls, and chill the dough balls in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (See note about cookie dough chilling.) Cookie dough balls freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw. Read my tips and tricks on how to freeze cookie dough. Baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.
Jelly Beans: Use your favorite variety or brand. I usually use the Just Born brand, found in the seasonal section of most grocery stores. Purchase 1 standard bag. You’ll have leftovers.
Dough Chilling: Chilling the cookie dough is imperative. These cookies are very buttery and the colder the cookie dough, the less your sugar cookies will over-spread. The cookie dough can get a little hard after 1 hour in the refrigerator, so I recommend rolling the dough into balls before chilling. Here are all of my tips on how to prevent cookies from spreading.
Recipe courtesy of Sally’s Baking
(not my worker, Sally, but a website LOL!)
