Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly grease them and set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy.
- Gradually beat in the flour in two or three additions until the mixture looks crumbly and dry.
- Press the dough together with your hands, squeezing firmly until it holds together when pressed. If it still crumbles apart, knead it gently on the counter for 30 seconds.
- Roll the dough into 1-inch balls — approximately 1 tablespoon of dough each.
- Pour the patriotic sprinkles into a shallow bowl. Roll each dough ball through the sprinkles until evenly coated on all sides.
- Place the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets and press each one down slightly to flatten.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until the bottoms are very lightly golden. The tops will still look pale.
- Cool on the pan for 5 minutes — do not skip this rest, as the cookies are fragile when hot.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
Cream the butter and sugar fully for the best melt-in-your-mouth texture. The dough may look crumbly after adding flour, but it will hold together once pressed by hand. Bake until the bottoms are lightly golden while the tops remain pale. Store layered between parchment paper to prevent breakage.