Funfetti cookies (nutella stuffed!)

I did not have (or want) a lot of sprinkles in my life growing up, but every once in a while a colorful sprinkle coated sugar cookie will tempt me in a bakery.  Most of the time I get sucked into buying one, I find them disappointingly crunchy, bland, and dissapointing.   Then recently Smitten Kitchen shared a new recipe for these, describing the home made version as tender and buttery, (and so colorful!), and I was sucked into trying them once again.  Fortunately these homemade cookies taste just as fun and delicious as they look.  Especially if you are like me, and go one step further by stuffing half of them with Nutella.   (Oops!)

The smitten kitchen version is delicious, but I ended up finding another version that I loved even more and was a little easier to make.   These cookies are super soft and buttery in the center, and the sprinkles give a delightful crunch.  And the color makes them seem so festive!  If you are feeling indulgent (and patient) you can stuff the cookie with balls of nutella, then roll each one in the spinkles.  If you are in more of a rush to get cookies into your mouth, just mix the sprinkles into the batter, and bake away.

Note: I recommend buying and using vanilla bean paste in these cookies if you have it.  It is not too hard or expensive to find these days, and makes it taste like you used fresh vanilla beans!



Funfetti cookies (with optional surprise Nutella stuffing!)
Adapted from allrecipes and smittenkitchen

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks or 226 grams) at room temperature
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla (ideally vanilla bean paste)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 3/4 cup flour
1 cup rainbow sprinkles

optional: ~1/2 cup nutella

Make the cookies:
 (Nutella stuffed option: Line a plate with parchment paper or silpat.  Scoop out small spoonfuls of Nutella into little piles on the plate, and place in the freezer for later. [see picture on left, above recipe])

1. Preheat the oven to 375 f (190 c) and line baking trays with parchment paper.
2. Mix the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy.
3. Mix in the egg and vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients
4. Options:
• Sprinkles mixed in: Mix your rainbow sprinkles into the batter.  Roll rounded 1 inch balls of dough (I use a small ice cream scoop), and place an inch apart on cookie tray
• Nutella stuffed: Remove pre-formed nutella balls from the freezer.  Press a ball of dough flat into the palm of your hand, fill the center with a nutella ball, then carefully roll the dough up around the nutella, patching it together so the nutella isn't visible.  Roll your ball of dough in sprinkles, and place on a cookie tray.
• Sprinkle coated: Scoop a 1 inch sized chunk of dough into your hands, roll it into a ball (warming it up helps sprinkles stick), and roll it in the rainbow sprinkles and place on cookie tray.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are slightly golden.  Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie tray, then remove to a wire rack.