Lofthouse Soft Sugar Sprinkles Cookies

Last week of October. Halloween Friday. The grandchildren came over Saturday for trick-or-treating in our neighborhood — better candy houses than their West Hartford street, Jenny said — and we had eight children including Sofía's friends' kids and Rosa and Carlos's neighbor child. Lucas was a Star Wars character. Isabella was a princess. Camila was a butterfly. Mateo was a small ghost. Andrés was a pumpkin in a stroller. The other three were Spider-Man, a witch, and a banana. Eduardo handed out candy from a chair on the porch. I sat next to him. Lucas led the pack from house to house and reported back at each interval with a bag inventory.

The weather was cold — fifty degrees, wind — but the children did not care. They were children. They were running. They were getting candy. Sofía came too in a witch hat. Alex was not there but she had told me on the phone earlier in the week that she had told him she was busy with family and he had said okay. I had said, "Mija, that is a good he." She had said, "Ma, I know."

Tuesday food bank: arroz con pollo and a cabbage salad. Yolanda made the chicken — her best yet. I told her so. I said, "Yolanda, this is your chicken now. You do not need me." She said, "Mrs. Carmen, I will always need you." I said, "Yolanda, you will always have me. But the chicken is yours."

Wednesday La Cocina cohort 2 week seven: desserts. Same flan, same tembleque, same arroz con dulce, same polvorones. The class moved through it.

Thursday Mami had a hard day. She did not eat. She drank only a small amount of broth. Carmen the aide had her in bed by 4 PM. I sat with her until 8. She did not wake. I held her hand. I went home. I called Sofía from the car. Sofía said, "Ma, this could be the slowing." I said, "Mija, I know." She said, "Ma, are you ready?" I said, "Mija, I will never be ready. The pasteles are ready." She did not laugh. She knew. She said, "Ma, that is the best ready."

Friday Mami ate a full plate. Saturday she ate three meals. The wave came back up. The wave is the wave. We do not predict it. We watch it. The notebook gets the entries. The cooking continues. Wepa.

La Cocina’s dessert week had me thinking about the kind of sweets that feel like a room full of people — colorful, generous, made to be shared — and after watching eight little ones in costumes race through the cold October dark and come back with fistfuls of candy, I wanted something I could put on a plate that matched that energy. These Lofthouse-style soft sugar cookies, thick and cakey under a cloud of frosting and sprinkles, are exactly that. Mami ate three meals on Saturday. The wave came back up. That calls for sprinkles.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 1 hr (includes chill) | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup full-fat sour cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3–4 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Food coloring of your choice (optional)
Rainbow sprinkles, for topping

Instructions

Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. In a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add wet ingredients. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the sour cream and vanilla extract until fully combined.
Combine. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing just until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
Chill the dough. Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight. The dough must be cold to hold its shape when cut.
Preheat and prepare. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disk to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into rounds using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
Bake. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the cookies are just set and the edges are barely beginning to turn golden. The tops should look slightly underdone — they will firm up as they cool. Do not overbake. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting. Beat the softened butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sifted powdered sugar, 3 tbsp cream, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until smooth and spreadable, adding the remaining tablespoon of cream as needed. Tint with food coloring if desired.
Frost and decorate. Spread a generous swirl of frosting onto each completely cooled cookie. Top immediately with rainbow sprinkles so they adhere before the frosting sets.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lofthouse Soft Sugar Sprinkles Cookies — The Sweet That Followed the Wave