Smothered in colorful sprinkles these simple homemade buttery sugar cookies are full of rich vanilla flavor and caramelized toasty notes from a touch of brown sugar and milk powder.
Heat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat liner or parchment paper.
In a bowl, whisk flour, milk powder, baking powder and salt for 30 seconds; set aside.
In a stand mixer, fitter with the paddle, beat butter at medium speed for 30 seconds to smooth it out. Add sugar and brown sugar and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as needed.
Add egg and vanilla and continue beating until well mixed, about 30 seconds.
Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined. Do not over mix.
Using a standard cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls.
Gently press the top half of each cookie dough ball into the sprinkles to coat.
Places cookies, sprinkle-side-up on prepared baking sheet, about 2-inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes in center of oven or until edges are golden brown.
Transfer cookies to cooling rack using a thin metal spatula.
Notes
Notes: To toast milk powder: add instant non-fat dry milk powder to a dry skillet and toast, stirring, over medium-low heat until a golden-brown color. It takes a minute or 2 for the color change, so don’t walk away.
Toasting the milk powder is also optional, but highly recommended for full flavor.