Homemade Circus Animal Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies
• 2 1/2 cups (353g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (105g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• Plenty of rainbow nonpareil sprinkles
Icing
• Option 1:
• 1 1/2 cups (170g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp half and half or 6 Tbsp heavy cream, then more as needed
• Pink food coloring (I used Wilton Rose)
• Option 2:
• 16 oz vanilla candy melts
• Oil based pink gel food coloring

Directions

• For the cookies:
• In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer cream together butter, granulated sugar and powdered sugar until well combined. Mix in egg, vanilla extract and almond extract. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined. Divide mixture into 2 equal portions, shape each portion into a smooth 6-inch disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill 1 1/2 hours, or until firm (you can chill overnight then let rest on counter about 5 minutes if it's too firm to roll). Preheat oven to 350 degrees during last 10 minutes of chilling.
• Dust a clean work surface with flour then place one disk of dough on floured surface, dust top lightly with flour and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness (leave dough disk chilled that you aren't currently working with). Cut into mini animal shapes (I used these here) then transfer (use an offset spatula to help lift them from surface if needed)to a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper, leaving about 3/4-inch between cookies. Bake in preheated oven about 7 - 11 minutes until set (meanwhile gather scraps of dough, mash and shape into smooth disk again and refrigerate). Remove from oven and cool several minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining disk of dough.
• For the icing option 1:
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and enough half and half or cream to reach a medium consistency (not runny, not thick). Divide mixture evenly among two bowls, tint one of them with pink coloring and leave the other white. Spread over cookies and immediately sprinkle with sprinkles after frosting each one. Let rest until glaze has set.
• Icing option 2:
• Melt candy melts in small batches (about 2 oz at a time so it doesn't harden too quickly) as directed on package. Tint half of the melts with pink coloring. Spread over cookies (or dip and slide some of the excess off on the side of bowl) and immediately sprinkle with sprinkles after frosting each one. Let rest until icing has set.