Birthday cookies taste like cake but are easier to make and portable

There are occasions when a highly portable birthday dessert is needed. A day at the beach, maybe an outing at the park or a casual picnic or tailgate. That's the reasoning behind these 8- or 9-inch birthday cookies, which are both simple to make and easy to transport.

According to food writer Alison Roman, whose new cookbook is "Sweet Enough" (Clarkson Potter, $35), these sprinkle-rich birthday cookies taste like birthday cake and take just 30-ish minutes to prepare. Baked in two cake pans, the treats are cut into wedges, with a candle adorning one.

If you prefer, use half the dough to make one cookie, then tightly wrap the leftover dough and freeze it for up to 1 month. The cookies can be baked 3 days ahead, cooled and stored airtight.

Makes two giant cookies (about 32 slim wedges)

6 large egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, room temperature

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup multi-colored sprinkles, plus 4 tablespoons for garnish, divided use

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Flaky sea salt, optional

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350 degrees. Line two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with a rounds of parchment paper.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a medium bowl with an electric hand mixer), beat yolks, sugar and vanilla together on medium speed until extremely pale and fluffy, almost like hollandaise or aioli, 4 to 5 minutes.

3. With the mixer running, add butter a few pieces at a time, waiting until the little pieces are fully incorporated into the yolk mixture before adding more. Continue adding until all the butter is incorporated, and your mixture is pale and smooth, another 4 to 5 minutes.

4. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, 1/3 cup sprinkles, baking powder and kosher salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture to the buttery yolks, beating to blend.

5. Divide dough in half. Pat half of dough into one prepared pan, pat down dough and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sprinkles and, if desired, a bit of flaky salt. Repeat with the second half of dough.

6. Bake until shiny, golden brown and slightly puffed on top (it will look like a very flat birthday cake), 20 to 25 minutes (If you like yours on the softer, chewier side, bake closer to 20 minutes).

7. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before transferring to a cutting board and slicing into little wedges (you can do this in the pan as well, but the surface of the pan may get scratched).

— "Sweet Enough" by Alison Roman (Clarkson Potter, $35)

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