Cinco De Mayo Sombrero Cookies (Printable)
Colorful sombrero-shaped sugar cookies with vibrant frosting and candy decorations for festive celebrations.
# What You Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 2½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - ½ teaspoon baking powder
03 - ¼ teaspoon salt
04 - ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
→ Decorating
08 - 2 cups confectioners' sugar
09 - 3–4 tablespoons milk
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - Food coloring (various colors)
12 - 24 gumdrops or similar round candies (for sombrero tops)
13 - Assorted colorful sprinkles
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly distributed. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a smooth, cohesive dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to ¼-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 24 large circles for the sombrero brims. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 24 small circles for the sombrero crowns.
06 - Arrange both the large and small cookie circles on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
07 - While the cookies cool, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. Divide the icing among separate bowls and tint each with your desired food coloring.
08 - Spread colored icing over each large cookie circle to form the brim. Using a dab of icing as adhesive, stand a small cookie circle upright in the center of each brim to form the crown. Attach a gumdrop to the top of each crown with more icing.
09 - Pipe or spread additional colored icing around the edge of each brim and apply colorful sprinkles. Allow the icing to set fully before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- These cookies are a guaranteed conversation starter at any spring gathering and people will assume you spent all day on them.
- The double cookie construction is clever but forgiving so even wobbly sombreros look adorable once you add enough sprinkles.
02 -
- Do not rush the cooling step because warm cookies will melt your icing into puddles and the sombrero shape will collapse.
- If your icing is too thick the small crown cookie will not stand upright so thin it drop by drop with milk until it flows easily.
03 -
- Chill the dough for twenty minutes before rolling if it feels too soft and sticky because cold dough is dramatically easier to cut cleanly.
- Use a tiny dab of thick icing rather than runny icing to attach the crown to the brim since it acts like real cement and holds the structure upright.