Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer or hand mixer
• •Medium cookie scoop (1.5 tablespoon)
• •Two half-sheet pans
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Whisk dry ingredients

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. This takes thirty seconds and prevents streaks of leavening in your finished cookies. Do it first and forget about it.

2. 2

   Cream butter and sugar

   In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. The mixture should look pale and creamy, almost like frosting. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.

   Truly softened butter holds a fingerprint without collapsing. If your butter is too firm, the creaming takes longer and incorporates less air. Too soft, and it becomes greasy.
3. 3

   Add egg and extracts

   Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. The mixture may look slightly curdled at first. Keep beating. It will smooth out. This is the moment your kitchen starts smelling like a birthday party.

4. 4

   Incorporate flour mixture

   Add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed just until no dry streaks remain, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and check the bottom of the bowl for hidden flour pockets. The dough should be smooth but not overworked. Tough cookies come from overmixing at this stage.

5. 5

   Fold in sprinkles

   Add the rainbow jimmies and fold them in with a rubber spatula, using broad strokes to distribute them evenly. The colors will start bleeding immediately, creating those characteristic Funfetti streaks through the pale dough. Work quickly. Excessive mixing turns everything a muddy gray.

   Use jimmies, not nonpareils. Jimmies are the rod-shaped sprinkles. They bleed color beautifully and maintain some texture after baking. Round nonpareils dissolve into nothing.
6. 6

   Chill the dough

   Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 days. Chilling firms the butter, which prevents the cookies from spreading into flat discs. Cold dough also develops better flavor. Don't skip this step. Warm dough bakes into sad, thin cookies.

7. 7

   Prepare for baking

   When ready to bake, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven. Preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5 minutes if it's very firm, just enough to scoop without fighting it.

8. 8

   Portion the dough

   Using a medium cookie scoop or two tablespoons, portion the dough into balls about 1.5 inches in diameter. Space them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Press a few additional sprinkles gently onto the top of each ball. These will stay vibrant and give the finished cookies that bakery look.

9. 9

   Bake until barely set

   Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are just set and very lightly golden, but the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy. They'll firm up as they cool. If you wait until they look fully baked in the oven, they'll be dry by the time they reach your mouth.

10. 10

    Cool properly

    Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. This brief rest allows them to set without overbaking from residual heat. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The texture transforms as they cool: from fragile and soft to tender and chewy with a slight resistance at the edge.

Chef Tips

• •The almond extract is what makes these taste like birthday cake rather than ordinary sugar cookies. Don't substitute, and don't reduce the amount. It should be assertive.
• •Buy quality sprinklesfrom a baking supply store or supermarket baking aisle. Dollar store sprinkles often contain wax that doesn't integrate well with butter-based doughs.
• •For thicker, more bakery-style cookies, chill the portioned dough balls on the baking sheet for an additional 15 minutes before baking. The extra chill time prevents spreading.
• •These freeze beautifully. Portion unbaked dough onto a sheet pan, freeze solid, then transfer to a zip-top bag. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the bake time.
• •Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. A slice of bread in the container helps maintain moisture and keeps them soft.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days before baking.
• •Portioned unbaked dough balls freeze for up to 3 months. Bake directly from frozen.
• •Baked cookies keep at room temperature in an airtight container for 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 40g)