This month, I wanted to solve one of my cooking conundrums: What to do with leftover egg yolks? After only using the whites in a recipe or for breakfast, the poor yolks might end up wastefully tossed in the trash. In the spirit of reducing waste and making something out of materials on hand, the inspiration for this month’s recipe is Family Portrait 1963, currently on view in C3. Martin Delabano created this unique sculpture of his family out of recycled and reused objects, like a coffee can and a guitar. These tasty cookies will undoubtedly bring your family together, all while making use of something you might have thrown away.
Cake Batter Sprinkle Cookies
Yields about 50 cookies
Level: Very Easy
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 egg yolks
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup colorful sprinkles, preferably jimmies
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar, beating at medium speed until light. Add almond extract and egg yolks and continue mixing until fully combined.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt onto wax paper. Slowly add flour mixture to mixer, mixing on low speed and scraping down sides of bowl until just incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer and stir in sprinkles by hand with rubber spatula.
To form cookies, scoop off about a teaspoon of dough then roll between hands to shape a ball slightly taller than it is wide. Bake until just crinkled on top, about 11-12 minutes, watching closely to ensure cookies do not brown.
When removed from oven, cookies will look very soft and should remain so at room temperature. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet then transfer to metal rack to cool completely.
Recipe adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Sarah Coffey
Assistant to the Chair of Learning Initiatives