Ingredients:
- 226g unsalted butter, slightly cool (65°F)
- 150g granulated cane sugar
- 50g large egg, room temperature
- 10ml pure vanilla extract
- 315g all-purpose flour
- 15g cornstarch
- 5g baking soda
- 2g cream of tartar
- 3g fine sea salt
- 60g festive red and green sprinkles
Instructions:
- Prep the oven. Preheat to 350°F (175°C) and line your sheets with parchment. Note: A hot oven is crucial for that 8 minute flash bake.
- Cream the fats. Beat 226g butter and 150g sugar until pale, fluffy, and significantly increased in volume (about 3 minutes).
- Emulsify the liquids. Add the 50g egg and 10ml vanilla extract. Note: If the mixture looks curdled, your egg was too cold; just keep beating.
- Sift dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk 315g flour, 15g cornstarch, 5g baking soda, 2g cream of tartar, and 3g salt.
- Combine carefully. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients until just a few streaks of flour remain.
- Add the color. Fold in the 60g festive sprinkles using a spatula. Stop as soon as they are distributed to prevent color bleeding.
- Scoop the dough. Form 24 balls (about 30g each) and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared sheets.
- The Flash Bake. Bake for exactly 8 minutes until the tops look set but are still quite pale.
- The Carryover. Leave the cookies on the hot pan for 5 minutes. They will finish setting through carryover heat.
- Cool completely. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling so the bottoms don't get soggy from steam.