King Cake Cookies
Line baking sheets with parchment paper, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt, and stir the milk with the vanilla and lemon extracts. Beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy and mix in the egg. Add half of the flour and half of the liquid, and stir in the remaining flour ending with the liquid. Scoop onto the sheets, bake at 375° about 15 minutes until the edges just brown, cool, dip in the glaze and top with yellow, purple and green sprinkles.
A traditional king cake is a labor of love, but these cookies deliver all its festive spirit in a fraction of the time. Soft and lemon-scented, glazed and sprinkled in the traditional purple, green, and gold, they capture the flavor and joy of a New Orleans king cake in an easy, shareable cookie. When Mardi Gras rolls around and you want the celebration without the all-day bake, these are the sweet, colorful answer — Carnival in a single happy bite.
The Vanilla-Lemon Cookie Dough
Build a soft, cake-like cookie dough scented with vanilla and lemon. The lemon extract in both the dough and the glaze gives the cookies their bright flavor.
The Festive Glaze and Sprinkles
Once the cookies are baked and cooled, finish them with a sweet glaze and the traditional purple, green, and gold sprinkles. This colorful finish is what makes them unmistakably king cake cookies — the glaze sets to a pretty sheen and the Carnival colors bring all the festive joy of the season.
King Cake Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
- Stir together milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon lemon extracts in a small bowl.
- Use an electric mixer to combine the butter with the granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Mix in the egg.
- With the motor set on low speed, add half of the flour and half of the liquid.
- When this is combined, stir in the remaining flour ending with the liquid.
- Use a 2-inch ice cream scoop to drop the dough onto the baking sheets.
- Bake until the cookies just begin to brown on the edges, about 15 minutes. The cookies will be domed and cake-like. Cool the cookies on racks.
- Use a whisk to stir together confectioners’ sugar with 3 tablespoons milk and ¼ teaspoon vanilla and ¼ teaspoon lemon extracts until smooth. Dip the cooled cookies in the glaze and set back onto a rack. Place parchment or waxed paper under the rack.
- Sprinkle the glaze with your favorite sprinkles making sure to use yellow, purple and green!
Notes
The Heart of the Table
Festive, colorful cookies are pure celebration to share — they bring the spirit of the season to any table in an instant. There is a joyful, easy generosity in baking something so cheerful, a way of inviting everyone to mark the occasion and enjoy a little Carnival, no matter how far from New Orleans.
The Art of the Host
Let the cookies cool fully before glazing so the finish sets smooth, and add the colored sprinkles while the glaze is still wet so they stick. Let them dry completely before stacking so their festive tops stay bright and intact.
Neighborly Grace
- The Preparation: The dough can be made ahead and chilled, and the finished cookies keep for several days in a tin. They are a perfect make-ahead for a Mardi Gras party or a festive week of celebration.
- The Pour: A cup of chicory coffee is the classic New Orleans pairing; for a festive non-alcoholic option, a colorful citrus punch keeps the Carnival spirit alive.
- The Vibe: Pile them on a platter decked in Carnival colors for a Mardi Gras party or a festive treat. These are joyful, easy cookies — all the color and flavor of a king cake in a shareable form made for celebration.