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featured circus animal sugar cookies

Circus Animal Sugar Cookies

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 43 cookies
Calories: 84kcal
Make the whole room light up with smiles when you serve a batch of homemade Circus Animal Sugar Cookies! Loaded with fun colors and simple ingredients, you're going to love these easy to make cookies.
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • Baking Sheet
  • Hand Mixer (optional)
  • Stand Mixer (optional)
  • Cookie Portion Scoop

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour 280 grams
  • ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • cup vegetable shortening 60 grams
  • ½ cup unsalted butter 113 grams, room temperature
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar 167 grams
  • ½ cup brown sugar 120 grams
  • 1 large egg 50 grams, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
  • cups crushed frosted circus animal cookies 175 grams
  • cup rainbow sprinkles 62 grams

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet or 2 with parchment paper and set aside.
    how to make circus animal sugar cookies
  • Whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and sea salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
    2 cups all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • In a separate bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the shortening, softened butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
    ⅓ cup vegetable shortening, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 large egg, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    how to make circus animal sugar cookies
  • Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix until combined. Fold in the crushed animal cookies and sprinkles.
    1½ cups crushed frosted circus animal cookies, ⅓ cup rainbow sprinkles
    how to make circus animal sugar cookies
  • Use a cookie scoop to place scoops of dough onto the prepared baking sheets making sure to leave about 1 inch between each cookie. Use the palm of your hand or the bottom of a glass to flatten each cookie slightly.
    how to make circus animal sugar cookies
  • Bake for 10-12 minutes or until beginning to brown on the edges.
    how to make circus animal sugar cookies
  • Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Notes

  • I prefer to bake my cookies one batch at a time so each cookie is baked evenly. You can either bake the cookies one batch at a time or use multiple cookie sheets to bake all at once and save yourself some time. You may want to rotate your pans halfway through baking to help the cookies bake more evenly.
  • For a more animal cookie-focused presentation, feel free to save some whole animal cookies and place one on top of each cookie immediately upon removing from the oven.
  • Careful not to bake the cookies for too long! Once the edges are golden brown, they're fully baked.
  • Remember to let the cookies cool for a bit on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack so they don't break apart.
  • Use a cookie scoop to ensure every cookie is the same exact size. This will help them bake evenly and look perfect.
Storage: Store circus animal sugar cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 84kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 29mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 71IU | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg