Description
Celebrate with these festive Sombrero Piñata Cookies, colorful sugar cookies shaped like sombreros and filled with small candies or sprinkles for a delightful piñata surprise inside. Perfect for Cinco de Mayo or any fiesta-themed occasion, these cookies combine classic buttery dough with vibrant royal icing decorations.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Decorations and Filling
- Assorted gel food coloring
- 1 cup royal icing
- 1/2 cup small candies or sprinkles for filling
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a mixer to cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated, forming a smooth batter.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms and all ingredients are just combined.
- Divide and Color Dough: Divide the dough into portions depending on how many colors you’d like, then tint each portion with assorted gel food coloring, kneading until evenly colored.
- Roll and Cut Shapes: Lightly dust your work surface with powdered sugar and roll out each colored dough portion to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use a sombrero-shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies. For half of the cookies, cut out a small center section to create a cavity for the filling.
- Bake Cookies: Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Assemble Piñata Cookies: Pipe royal icing around the edges of the solid sombrero cookies. Add a small spoonful of candies or sprinkles to the center. Top with the cut-out cookies, pressing gently to seal and create a piñata effect inside.
- Decorate Tops: Use royal icing with assorted colors to decorate the tops of the sombrero piñata cookies with colorful details. Let the icing set completely before serving.
Notes
- Ensure the cookies are completely cooled before assembling to prevent melting the candies or icing.
- Store-bought royal icing can be used for convenience if preferred.
- Feel free to adjust the colors and decorative designs to match different party themes or holidays.
