Giant Sugar Cookie

Somehow four years have passed since I first started developing recipes for Marisa Bakes! Last year, I celebrated with this Mini Funfetti Cake for One, but this year I thought it would be fun to make a Giant Sugar Cookie to celebrate because what's better than having a giant cookie all to yourself?

I'm talking about those large sugar cookies that are covered in sprinkles and have a cake-like texture when you break them apart. It's light and fluffy, and each bite has a nice crunch from the sprinkles. You'll want it all for yourself.

This Giant Sugar Cookie is really simple and easy to make. The trick is to keep your oven at a lower temperature than normal. By preheating it to 250 degrees, you slowly bake the cookie so that it is firm on the outside, but still slightly soft on the inside.

Now let's talk sprinkles! I chose jimmies because I love that they have a good crunch, but still soften slightly when baked. You can use nonpareils or even quins if you prefer!

A FEW NOTES BEFORE WE GET STARTED

• Room Temperature Ingredients:
  • Butter: It’s important that your butter is softened. In a pinch, you can put your butter in the microwave for about 5 seconds on each side, but watch closely to make sure it is just softening and not melting.
  • Egg: You also want to make sure that the egg is at room temperature to ensure that it is properly incorporated into your batter. If you forget to leave it out before you start baking, place it in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes until they become room temperature.

• Measuring Your Ingredients: I strongly encourage that you use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients and ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
  • However, if you don’t have a scale on hand and will be using cup measurements, make sure to use the “spoon and sweep” method when measuring to avoid packing in too much of any dry ingredient.

• Oven Temperature: Make sure to preheat your oven for at least 15 minutes before you start baking.
  • I recommend purchasing an oven thermometer to get to know your oven so you can adjust your baking temperatures accordingly. Some ovens run slightly warmer or colder so its important to know yours to make sure your baked goods come out right.

• Check out My Favorite Baking Tools to see what I use when I bake.

Let's bake! Preheat your oven to 250º. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, blend together the butter and sugar on medium speed until combined.

Add in the egg and vanilla extract and continue to mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, add in the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix just until combined.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and form the dough into a giant ball. Spread out sprinkles on a small plate and carefully press dough ball into sprinkles, shaking the plate as you go to redistribute the sprinkles. Continue this process until the top of the dough is fully covered in sprinkles. Gently pick up giant cookie and roll sides in the remaining sprinkles.

Once the top and sides are completely covered in sprinkles, place the giant cookie on a parchment lined baking sheet. Press it down slightly so that it is about 4 ½ inches in diameter. Bake for 40 minutes until it is firm around the edges. Once baked, it will expand to about 7 ½ inches.

Transfer cookie sheet to a cooling rack and let cookie cool for at least 15 minutes. Now you can slice it up into pieces or take a big bite!