Firecracker Cookie Bombs

Your 4th of July weekend is NOT complete without these festive Firecracker Cookie Bombs!.

FIRECRACKER COOKIE BOMBS

Time: 3 hours // Servings: 12 bombs

INGREDIENTS

For the Cookie Dough

  • 3 1/2 cups heat-treated all-purpose flour (directions on page of 31 of Hello, Cookie Dough OR purchase it here)

  • 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

  • 1/2 tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 2 1/4 sticks (18 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar

  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature

  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

  • 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For The Filling

  • 1/3 cup festive sprinkles (plus more for topping)

Cookie Dough Buttercream

  • 2 sticks (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

  • 1 tbsp milk or heavy cream, the higher the fat content the better

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar

  • 2 cups reserved cookie dough

  • Gel food coloring (red & blue)

DIRECTIONS

To make cookie dough:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the heat-treated flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated and brown sugars and mix on medium until light and fluffy; about 4 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. about 2 minutes.

  • Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low just until the powdery texture of the flour disappears, about 15 seconds. Immediately add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and mix a final 15 seconds.

  • Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the chocolate chips. Remove 2 cups of finished cookie dough and set aside for buttercream.

  • Refrigerate the remaining dough for 1 hour, or until it is easy to handle and no longer sticky. Once chilled, divide the dough into 13 even portions. Use your hands to shape the portions into balls and freeze for 30 minutes.

  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place 12 liners in a cupcake pan.

  • Remove 12 cookie dough balls from the freezer (leave 1 remaining) and use your thumbs to press into the middle of each ball, forming each into a nest or bowl shape in the palm of your hand. Fill each hole with 1 heaping teaspoon of sprinkles. Once filled, use your fingers to pinch the cookie dough over the sprinkles to form a seam. Roll the balls in your hands until the seam disappears. The sprinkles will be completely concealed in the middle of the ball. Place the stuffed cookie dough balls into the cupcake liners.

  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. When finished, the bombs will look like a set cookie with golden brown edges. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

  • While the bombs cool, make the Cookie Dough Buttercream using the reserved cookie dough.

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed until light. fluffy, and completely smooth. Add the vanilla, milk, and salt and mix until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

  • With the mixer on low, add the confectioners’ sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Once incorporated, turn the mixer to high and let the frosting get super light and fluffy. This will take at least 5 minutes. The frosting will become lighter in color as air is whipped into it.

  • Break the reserved dough into quarter-size chunks. With the mixer running on medium, add about 1 cup of the chunks to the frosting a few at a time. Mix on medium until all of the chunks are added, then turn the mixer to high and mix until the chunks disappear and are completely blended into the frosting.

  • Turn the mixer on low and drop the remaining 1 cup chunks into the frosting. Mix until just incorporated. You want that last cup of chunks to keep their shape so there are surprise cookie dough bites throughout your frosting.

  • Fill a piping bag with 1/3 the buttercream. Add 2-3 drops of red food coloring to another 1/3 of the batch and add blue food coloring to the remaining buttercream and mix until the color is fully incorporated. Place into another piping bag. (You should have 3 piping bags at this point - one with each color). Cut a hole in each bag, 1 inch from the tip. Place all 3 piping bags side by side together into a new piping bag. Cut a hole in the piping bag.

  • Once the bombs are completely cool, pipe the buttercream into each cookie comb, forming a large, multi-colored three-tiered dollop.

  • Using the 13th cookie dough ball, garnish each bomb by pulling off small chunks of cookie dough and topping each bomb off with a small piece. Serve and enjoy!

Kristen Page