Question:  How does one turn regular chocolate chip cookies into “unicorn cookies” when one’s four year old niece sleeps over?

Answer:  One desperately searches his/her pantry for anything that might look girly and fun.  Namely pink sugar crystals; the only thing in my cabinet that could possibly elicit the title of these cookies.

Aubrey is one of those rare birds… a bad ass four year old with no fear, but also such a sweet, girlie girl.  She is totally into unicorns and pink and anything sweet.

This was my first actual baking day with Aubrey and it was a total success.  We used my dear friend, Michelle Ericsson’s family recipe to bake the best chocolate chip cookies ever (seriously, I stand by that comment).  But to make them magically pink we topped them with pink sugar crystals (Aubrey was in awe of her pink hands after topping the cookies so I told her the sugar was magical ~ yes, I’m a liar).

Unicorn Sprinkle Cookies (recipe care of Aubrey and Aunt Mary Knab’s Chocolate Chip Cookies)

INGREDIENTS:  2/3 cup shortening, 2/3 butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup chopped nuts, 12 oz. package chocolate chip cookies

DIRECTIONS:  Mix thoroughly shortening, butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.  Blend in remaining ingredients.  Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.  (Airbase pan: 360 degrees for 15 minutes)