Frosted Circus Animal Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• Plenty of rainbow nonpareil sprinkles
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 Tbsp half and half
• Pink food coloring

Directions

1. Make the cookie dough: In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together, then put the bowl aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar until the mixture is evenly blended. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and mix them in. Turn the mixer to low and gradually work in the flour mixture just until the dough comes together. Split the dough into 2 equal pieces, then pat each one into a smooth 6-inch disk.
2. Chill the dough: Cover the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours, or until firm. If you chill the dough overnight and it becomes too hard to roll, let it sit on the counter for about 5 minutes first. During the last 10 minutes of chilling, heat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Roll and cut the cookies: Sprinkle flour over a clean work surface, set one dough disk on top, and dust the surface of the dough lightly with more flour. Roll it to 1/4-inch thickness, leaving the other disk in the refrigerator while you work. Cut out mini animal shapes, then move them to a baking sheet lined with a silicone liner or parchment paper, using an offset spatula if they need a little help releasing. Leave about 3/4-inch of space between cookies.
4. Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for about 7 – 11 minutes, until the cookies are set. While they bake, collect the dough scraps, press them back into a smooth disk, and return them to the refrigerator.
5. Cool the cookies: Take the baking sheet out of the oven and let the cookies cool on it for several minutes. Move them to a wire rack and let them cool completely. Repeat the same process with the remaining disk of dough.
6. Make the icing: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough half and half or cream to make a medium-consistency icing that is neither runny nor thick. Divide the icing evenly between two bowls, color one bowl pink, and leave the other white. Spread icing over the cookies, adding sprinkles right after frosting each one. Let the cookies stand until the glaze is set.