Peeps! You know my heart will always belong to the chocolate chip cookie — I mean always. In my estimation, there is just no better sweet treat in cookie form. Of course some are better than others, and I am certainly partial to this one, but when there are a number of cookies on offer, and chocolate chip is one of them, you can bet that that is always the one that I will grab. But when researching my book, The Vintage Baker, I came across very few – if any – chocolate chip cookie recipes. Instead, I kept coming across recipes for “jumbles” — basically just a plain old vanilla cookie that one can adjust via add-ins. Not exactly the sexiest of cookies, if we are being frank.
But because I was eager to include recipes in the book that popped up continuously in my research, I decided to include a jumble recipe in the book despite my deep, aforementioned, love of, and loyalty to, chocolate chip cookies, and despite the fact that jumbles lacked the pizzazz that I expect. and appreciate when cookie-eating. In short, that is how a sour cream jumble ended up in my book. But guess what? Very good news, peeps: Jumbles are insanely delicious, especially when made with sour cream, like these are . . . They are super tender, super vanilla-y and super easy to throw together . . . you’re welcome.
And here’s the thing, jumbles also take amazingly well to change – like you could probably even make a chocolate chip one, if you so desired. In The Vintage Baker, my jumble recipe calls for nothing more than sparkly sanding sugar, which makes for a very pretty look and a slightly crackly or crunchy texture. And when I knew I’d be at One King’s Lane in Soho to help them celebrate Pride on Saturday June 29th, I knew just what I’d be bringing to share: Jumbles with a special add-in (in honor of Pride). This time, the choice of jumble add-in was easy: rainbow sprinkles — perfectly Pride celebratory, as well as perfectly pretty. I folded the sprinkles into the cookies as well as placing some on top and the desired effect was all that and then some. The jumbles could not have been prettier and more festive and uber-rainbow-y . . . I will now be doctoring jumbles with different add-ins whenever the feeling moves me, so be ready.
Rainbow Cake Cookies for Pride (aka Sour Cream Jumbles from The Vintage Baker
Ingredients
- 2 cups [260 g] all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/2 cup [110 g] unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/4 cups [250 g] granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup [120 g] sour cream
- 1 cup rainbow sprinkles or more or less, plus more for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. And if you are using the rainbow sprinkles, whisk those in, too. Whisk the melted butter and sugar in a large bowl.
- Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla. fold in half of the flour mixture with a flexible spatula, then the sour cream, and then the other half of the flour mixture, mixing only until the last bit of flour disappears. The mixture will seem more like cake batter than cookie dough. Scoop the dough into one tablespoon portions and place them on the prepared cookie sheets, 12 per sheet. The dough will be sticky and your portions won't look perfect. That's okay. Place in the freezer until solid, at least two hours, or overnight.
- Heat the oven to 350°F [180°C].
- When you are ready to bake them off, roll the balls in your hands to form more perfect round shapes. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating at the halfway point, until lightly browned around the edges. Let cool slightly on the sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough. The jumbles can be stored in an airtight container on the counter, for up to 3 days, but they will noticeably soften each day.