Confetti Cookies

I don't bake nearly as often as I used to when the kids were small and I only worked part time.  Life gets busy and I really miss the enjoyment of being in my kitchen often, trying several new recipes a week.  My kids and their cousins had an awesome afternoon playing outside in the snow, enjoying the sun and warmer temperatures yesterday, so I took advantage of the quietness and tried a new cookie recipe.  These Confetti Cookies are beautiful with their rainbow sprinkles and fairly easy to make.  I saw them originally on Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs, and then my friend Jillian brought them to my house for bookclub and they were delicious.

Confetti Cookies
recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup (2 ounces or 1/4 of an 8 ounce brick) cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup + rainbow sprinkles

Directions:
Mix dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) together in a bowl and set aside.  In electric mixer using the paddle attachment, beat butter with cream cheese.  Add the sugar and beat until well combined.  Add egg and vanilla extract and combine.  Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until dough comes together.  Chill dough for 15-20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat baking mat.
Shape even sized balls using a cookie scooper (mine is 1 1/2 tablespoon size).  Use your hands to roll the scoops into a smooth ball and roll in the rainbow sprinkles until the entire surface is covered.  Place on cookie sheet evenly spacing the balls until you have 12 total on the sheet.  Use the bottom of a small jar or glass to press down and lightly flatten the cookie balls until they are 1/2 inch tall.
Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the bottom of the cookie is set but top looks undercooked.  They will firm up after you take them out of the oven.
Cool completely before eating. This recipe makes 3 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!  These were a huge hit with all the kids and the grown ups!