Let’s be honest with ourselves.  Sprinkles is the best discovery you’ve made since you were born.

I’ll have Butter Pecan in a cone with chocolate sprinkles please (vanilla with chocolate sprinkles if it’s soft serve).  

I would say they’re the best ice cream topping, but sprinkles are so much more than just a topping for ice cream.  What else can they do? Decorate cakes, cookies, cupcakes…  They are no one trick pony.

New Jersey loves it’s Italian bakeries, and a staple of the Italian bakery is the sprinkle cookie.  These remind me of childhood and all that is right with the world. Who needs chocolate chips when there are sprinkles?

Italian Sprinkle Cookies

Adapted from Food.com

Yields about 2 dozen (more or less depending on size)

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tbs and 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or shortening
• 1/2 Tbs almond extract
• 1 1/2 Tbs lemon zest
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• Sprinkles (chocolate or rainbow of the traditional oblong shape)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Use an electric mixer to blend the eggs until frothy.
3. Combine flour, sugar, shortening, baking powder, almond extract, lemon juice and zest in separate bowl.
4. Add eggs to the rest of the ingredients and mix to combine.
5. Roll dough into tablespoon size balls.  Flatten the dough slightly and dip one half of the ball in the sprinkles.  Place the dough sprinkle side up on a parchment lined cookie sheet (you want the dough closer to discs rather than balls so the cookies come out somewhat flat).  Most recipes call for the sprinkles to be added after baking with a glaze or frosting, but I prefer this method.
6. Bake cookies at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.
7. Allow to cool and enjoy.  Be careful about handling the cookies when they’re hot because the sprinkles might melt in your hands.  Let them cool!