Best Sunnys Cereal Confetti Cookies Recipes

SUNNY'S CHOCOLATE PRETZEL AND CEREAL NO-BAKE BITES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, add the pretzels, almonds if using, pistachios if using, shredded wheat cereal, orange zest and pumpkin pie spice. Stir to combine.
• Add the chocolate chips to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted (see Cook's Note). Immediately stir the chocolate into the bowl with the crushed ingredients. Stir until everything is fully coated.
• Use your hands to form truffle-size forms on the prepared baking sheet. Allow to set and cool in the refrigerator. Store in an airtight container.

SUNNY'S CEREAL TRAIL MIX

Steps:

• In a large pan on medium heat, add the peanuts, butter, jelly and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, tossing and stirring to coat, until the peanuts are coated and warm throughout, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the cereal and pretzels to the pan. Toss and transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet or the counter. Sprinkle over the peanut candies and let cool. Toss again when cool and serve at room temperature.

STAR CONFETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Mix the vanilla and egg with a fork in a small bowl.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed until the butter has picked up the sugars, about 30 seconds. (If using a hand mixer, beat about 2 minutes.) Increase the speed to medium and beat until slightly creamy, stopping halfway to scrape the bowl, about 1 minute (about 3 minutes with a hand mixer).
• Reduce the speed to low, slowly add in the egg mixture and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture a heaping cup at a time in 2 additions, stopping a few times to scrape the bowl and beaters. (If using a hand mixer, increase the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters spinning.) Once all the flour is just incorporated, add the confetti stars, increase the speed to medium (higher with a hand mixer) and beat until the dough is very smooth, about 2 minutes (about 5 minutes with a hand mixer).
• Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together. Divide the dough into 2 even pieces, each about 11 ounces. Shape each piece into a 6-inch square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Position the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Take the dough pieces out of the refrigerator and let soften until just pliable but still cool and firm, about 15 minutes.
• Dust a piece of parchment with flour. Working quickly, dust one square of the dough with flour and roll it to about 1/4 inch thick. Lift the dough occasionally by sliding a metal spatula or bench scraper underneath to make sure it isn't sticking to the parchment. Cut out 3 1/2-inch star cookies as close together as possible. Cut out the centers of the stars with a 1 1/2-inch cutter. If the dough becomes too soft to cut out, place it in the freezer for 5 minutes to firm back up. Transfer the large and small stars to separate prepared baking sheets, large on one and small on the other, leaving 1 inch between them all. Gather together the scraps and repeat with the remaining dough. When the remaining dough is too small for the large cutter, just cut out small stars. Sprinkle more confetti stars over the top of the cookies and gently press down so they stick. Freeze the cookies on the baking sheets while you repeat with the second dough piece. Freeze the cookies about 10 minutes before baking.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until the cookies are light golden brown around the edges and slightly firm when gently pressed, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheets on a cooling rack, about 30 minutes.

HAZELNUT SUGAR COOKIE CEREAL

Steps:

• Gently combine the Mini Sugar Cookie Hearts, Mini Meringues, cherries, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and hazelnuts in a large bowl. (I ended up only using about two-thirds of the meringues because I liked that cookie-to-meringue ratio. The remaining meringues were kept aside for noshing and cake decorating!)
• Serve in a bowl with milk. Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. The cereal should keep for a couple of weeks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• In a food processor, process the hazelnuts until finely ground. Add the flour and salt and pulse to combine.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat well to combine. With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, beating until combined.
• Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out until it's 1/4 inch thick and use a cookie cutter to cut out tiny hearts. Place the hearts on the baking sheets (they can be pretty close together) and bake until lightly browned on the bottom, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce the oven to 250 degrees F and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes to really crisp them up. Let cool on the baking sheets.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Distribute the sugar in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the edges start to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. While the sugar is baking, add the egg whites to a stand mixer.
• Once the sugar has been in the oven for a few minutes, begin beating the egg whites on high until foamy. Reduce the mixer and gradually sprinkle in the warm sugar. Once all of it has been added, add the almond extract and food coloring. Beat on high until the meringue is stiff, glossy and cold, just a few minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 225 degrees F.
• Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/8- or 1/4-inch round tip with the egg white mixture. Pipe tiny dollops onto the parchment and bake for about 20 minutes, until the mini meringues are no longer shiny and crispy all the way through. Let cool on the baking sheets.

SUNNY'S GINGER MOLASSES COOKIES

Steps:

• Blend the wet: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand mixer on medium, blend the sugar and butter until lighter in color and fluffy. Add the molasses and ginger and blend until smooth. Then add in the egg and blend until incorporated.
• Add the dry: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice. Reduce the mixer speed and add the flour mixture in 3 parts, slowly blending and scraping the sides of the bowl to include all the dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Roll, bake and top: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Pour enough sugar into a small bowl to dust the cookies (about 1/3 cup).
• Using a small melon baller or ice scream scoop, make 24 balls of cookie dough and roll each in the sugar to coat on all sides. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets 1 inch apart and gently press each down.
• Bake until the bottoms and edges are browned slightly, about 12 minutes; remove from the oven and immediately push a ginger candy in the center of each cookie so that it cools with it locked in place. Slide the cookies off the sheet by pulling the parchment paper off the sheet and onto a cooling rack. Cool before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 days.