A springform pan is the secret to the geometric shape of these eye-catching cookies, no rolling pin or cookie cutters needed. Pressing the dough into the pan easily molds it into an even circle that’s a cinch to score into wedges before baking. Because powdered sugar is so fine, it dissolves right into the dough (versus the grainy texture of granulated sugar), giving the shortbread a meltingly tender crumb. Draped in a Hello Kitty–pink glaze made with tart pomegranate juice—and finished with a glittery dusting of homemade orange sprinkles—these cookies are party-worthy.
If you don’t have a springform pan, you can lightly coat a cake pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray, then scrunch up a piece of parchment paper so it covers the bottom and partially goes up the sides instead. The edges of the cookies might not be as clean, but the glaze will cover most imperfections. You can also swap unsweetened cranberry juice in for the pomegranate juice.
Sanding sugar goes by a few different names, including sugar sprinkles and sparkling sugar. I use Wilton White Sparkling Sugar, which is clear and shiny. You can also use raw sugar, although the final color of the sprinkles will skew brown instead of vibrant orange.
Note that it’s important to gently spoon flour into your measuring cup and lightly level the surface with a knife or spatula. Scooping directly into a flour container and packing the measuring cup will result in too much flour per cup and drier cookie dough. Better yet, just weigh your dry ingredients.
Read more: 5 Stunningly Simple Cookies, No Mixer Needed