Funfetti Sandwich Cookies are crunchy sugar cookies bursting with sprinkle happiness and sandwiched with your favorite frosting flavor. A do-it-yourself treat that is perfect for snacking or care package celebrations. Heat resistant ingredients help to ensure this treat will arrive ready to enjoy.
July came and went with little baking (or anything else) accomplished as I sported my bright blue cast. In the last few weeks, my walking boot has made me mobile again, though a bit slow and wobbly.I have to prioritize. My broken ankle got in the way of my baking plans for a July military care package, but this August package was important. Paratrooper Derik turned 23 this month and a Monday Box birthday care package filled with celebration cookies was imperative.
Care package contents
This birthday celebration box has a balloon theme. The napkins, horns, and decorations have a balloon print. The battery powered birthday candle (a fabulous dollar store find), not only twinkles and changes color, but is also decorated with balloons.
Birthdays call for candy, but desert safe candy is probably non-existent. I have been told that even Jolly Ranchers (hard fruit flavored candies) can melt.
I thought I would give it a shot anyway, trying for some candy that was at least less likely to melt. I included boxes of Sweet Tarts and Spree, gum, and a bouquet of balloon lollipops. A few puzzle books completed the party loot.
In keeping with the balloon theme, Vanilla Bean Balloon Cookies were perfect.
The round cookies coated in colorful decorating sugar ended up being balloons without strings because the sticks were taking up too much room in the box.
Sparkling Lemon Cookies can be used for these balloons as well.
There was a noticeable lack of chocolate in this care package due to summer heat. A batch of desert safe brownies helped to restore balance to the universe.
These soft and chewy brownies were developed by the Nestle's test kitchens especially for military care packages using desert safe guidelines.
For long distance shipping, I always recommend that brownies/blondies/bar cookies be mailed uncut, the whole pan well wrapped first in foil then in plastic wrap before sealing in a large ziplock bag.
Circle sugar cookies and new recipe
Funfetti Sandwich Cookies are both the circle sugar cookies and the new recipe in this care package. I love the sugar cookie recipe that I usually use. It holds its shape, it tastes delicious, and it stays delicious for weeks.
Part of that deliciousness is the butter in the recipe, and baked goods made with butter don't always travel well in hot summer weather. I was excited to find sugar cookies on the Crisco site.
Vegetable shortening is considered a desert safe ingredient because it is the fat that is least likely to go rancid in extreme desert temperatures.
This vegetable shortening sugar cookie is good! Like the cookies made from the butter based recipe, these cookies hold their shape and last for weeks.
My solution to the "no icing in the heat" dilemma was sprinkles. Sprinkles ease many of life's dilemmas. In this case, funfetti (jimmies) sprinkles in the batter and nonpareil sprinkles on top turn these cookies into a celebration.
The cookies taste even better when turned into cookie sandwiches. When homemade butter cream or canned frosting is spread or piped between two cookies, a sandwich cookie worthy of a birthday celebration is the result.
I included a can of chocolate fudge frosting and plastic knives in the care package and taped directions onto the can stating, "Spread between two cookies to make a sandwich. Enjoy!"
Happy 23 birthday, Paratrooper Derik!
As you celebrate your birthday far from home while you serve your country, please know that you and your fellow paratroopers are in our thoughts. Thank you for the job you do!
Funfetti Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter flavor vegetable shortening Crisco
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup multi-colored jimmies sprinkles
- Optional: additional sprinkles for decorating tops of cookies
- 1 cup buttercream or canned frosting
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together vegetable shortening and sugar.
- Add egg, milk, and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the shortening mixture.
- Stir in jimmies sprinkles.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.
- When ready to bake:
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out dough to ⅛” thickness on floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper.
- Cut out 2 ½” circles with a cookie cutter or drinking glass rim. Re-roll excess dough to cut out more cookies.
- With a spatula, transfer the circles of dough onto the prepared cookie sheet about 2” apart. (The cookies spread only slightly.)
- Optional: Sprinkle tops of cookies with sprinkles and press gently with fingertips to help the sprinkles adhere to the cookies.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until the bottom edges begin to turn golden brown.
- Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
- Optional for making frosting sandwich cookies: Spread or pipe icing onto one cookie bottom side up. Cover the frosted cookie with a second cookie. Serve immediately or refrigerate for several days. The frosting will firm when cold and will lose its glossy appearance but will still taste good.
Notes
- Double wrap stacks of 2-4 cookies in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container or zip lock bag.
- Add a can of frosting, a plastic knife and sandwich cookie directions for care package shipping.
- I attached a label to the frosting can which read, “Spread between two cookies to make a sandwich. Enjoy!”
Nutrition
BruCrew Life
I love the balloon birthday theme! I'm sure you made Derik's day with this awesome package! 🙂
themondaybox
Thanks, Jocelyn! I think balloons are a wonderful way to celebrate just about anything. At my house we have balloons for holidays, birthdays, congrats on accomplishments, and general "I love you". I have even sent helium balloons in a care package.....just not an international care package! 🙂
Monica
I hope your ankle is much, much better these days, Wendy. I'm glad you are much more mobile. This made me smile because there's just something about sprinkles that is so wonderful! And who doesn't love a birthday theme and a special care package for such a special occasion. I think you did a wonderful job and I'm sure the recipient appreciated it.
themondaybox
Thanks so much for the good wishes, Monica! I am weaning myself out of the support boot right now. After 3 months in a cast or boot, my foot seems to have forgotten how to bend and flex. Working on that now. 🙂
Sprinkles are really good at making people smile. That's why I thought they would be perfect in a birthday box. 🙂
Reeni
Thank-you so much for sending this to him! I bet he loved it! The sprinkle balloon cookies are so pretty! Very festive and birthday-ish. I hope you are doing well and healing!
themondaybox
Thanks, Reeni! I am honored to have the opportunity to create these military care packages. I hope they deliver smiles as well as sugar! The balloon cookies are one of the best care package cookies I have found. They stay soft on the inside and sugar crunchy on the outside for a long time.
Thanks also for the kind inquiry about my ankle! I am happily in the "wean yourself off the walking boot" phase. Building up strength so that I can be back to my normal dashing around self. 🙂
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert
What a very nice birthday package. That filling looks yum!
themondaybox
Thanks, Tricia! I was going for "celebratory". 🙂 Its hard to come up with a filling or frosting for hot weather shipping so I hope the frosting in a can did the trick! My preference at home is buttercream. 🙂
candielm
I pinned this before, but just love these cookies. Also the balloon ones are so pretty.
themondaybox
Thank you so much for your kind words, Candi! I love that these cookies are delicious, pretty/fun, and ship well in warm weather. I will be using the recipe over and over. 🙂 Thanks also for the pin!
Thalia @ butter and brioche
these cookies look so delicious.. loving all the funfetti sprinkle action going on. craving a bite of one now!
themondaybox
Thank you, Thalia! Birthdays call for lots of funfetti sprinkle action. 🙂 These cookies are crave worthy.
Libby's Library
I am so glad that I found your site via Learn To Blog. I love love love all the wonderful and useful and delicious information that you provide. How I wish that I had access to your knowledge, when my grandson's father was deployed. Crossing our fingers that there will be no more deployments during the final years of his career, but if he does have to go again, I'll know exactly what to send to him.
With 10 grown kids and 23 grand kids spread across the country, I'll be coming back again and again for ideas and recipes!
themondaybox
Hi, Libby! I am so glad you found The Monday Box, too! I wish there was no reason for any soldier to be deployed, but as long as someone's son/daughter is serving our country far from home I am hopeful that Monday Box recipes can help make their care packages delicioius! 🙂 I am thankful to the men and women of our armed forces and to their families for the sacrifices they make! I will cross my fingers along with you in hoping that your grandson's father can finish out his career without further deployment!
I am completely awed that with 10 kids and 23 grandkids you find the time to bake! What a lucky group your family is! Thank you for your kind words. I hope you will try a Monday Box recipe and let me know what you think!
mommyinsports
This is awesome! i used to love to make funfetti cookies....yum!
themondaybox
Thanks, Kristen! Sprinkles seem to make whatever they touch into a party!
Becca Niederkrom
Every picture along the way was a piece of art . . . and then to top it all of you sandwiched them with fudgy chocolate. Yummers!
themondaybox
You are so sweet! Thanks! Working on photography is my biggest challenge (next to figuring out social media!) so I really appreciate the comment! You are right about the cookies. They were very tasty alone, but special once they were sandwiched with chocolate!
Faith
These are so great! I love the theme.
themondaybox
Thank you, Faith! Birthdays should be celebrated. Adding to a soldier's birthday celebration was an honor! 🙂
mmmarzipan
They looks gorgeous!
themondaybox
Thanks, Marisa!
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
It's birthday cake in portable, on the go form! I LOVE IT! So pretty and so festive, Wendy! 😀
themondaybox
Thanks, Jess! Sprinkles work magic, don't they?! Sprinkled cookies are a party in each bite. 🙂