Soft Mochi Cookies "Confetti"

Ingredients:

Moti

• 1/3 cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 0.5 cups whole milk
• 1 tbsp. multi-colored sprinkles
• Vegetable oil to lubricate your hands

Cookie

• 2.5 cups premium flour
• 0.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 165 g (12 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 0.5 cups of multi-colored sprinkles + extra for decoration
• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C.
2. Moti:
   
   In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the mochi and powdered sugar. Add the milk and stir until smooth. Microwave for 1 minute (the mixture will thicken at this point), stir lightly, then continue microwaving until the mixture becomes thick and sticky, another 1 minute. Sprinkle with sprinkles. Let the mochi cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
3. Cookie dough:
   
   Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and coarse salt; set aside.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix well. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture, and mix until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sprinkles and mix until evenly combined.
5. Once the mochi has cooled, lightly oil your hands and roll the mochi into 12 balls (about 1 heaping teaspoon each); set aside.
6. Divide the cookie dough into 12 large portions (about 1/4 cup each), then roll each into a ball. Gently flatten each dough ball to form a 8-cm diameter circle. Place one mochi ball in the center of each circle and roll it in the dough, completely enclosing the filling. Transfer to a baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2.5 cm apart. Decorate with additional sprinkles and sea salt. Refrigerate until completely set, about 30 minutes.
7. Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown, 18–20 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet, about 1 hour.
   
   Cookies can be stored in a tightly sealed container for up to 1 week..