Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper, so the cookies release cleanly. Keep the sheets ready with visible parchment rectangles.
- Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. Stop when the mixture looks uniform in color with no streaks.
- Cream butter, softened and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until the mixture turns lighter and looks aerated.
- Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture just until combined, then fold in fresh rhubarb, finely diced. Fold gently so the pink pieces stay intact and the dough remains thick.
Bake
- Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. The dough mounds should look rounded and slightly high.
- Sprinkle the tops with Sugar for sprinkling, covering each mound lightly. You should see a light layer of sparkle on the surface.
- Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes until edges are set but centers still look soft. The cookies should look slightly puffed with a tender, underdone center.
Cool
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Wait until the cookies hold their shape when gently lifted.
Notes
For the pink rhubarb pieces to stay evenly distributed, finely dice the rhubarb and pat it dry if it’s watery, then fold it in at the very end. Store baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature; they also freeze well up to 2 months (freeze flat, then thaw at room temperature). For a lighter option, you can replace 1/2 cup of butter with an equal amount of neutral oil, keeping the dough texture tender.