To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed for 5-6 minutes or until very pale, fluffy and smooth. Be sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed during the creaming process to ensure all the butter gets uniformly whipped.

Add the vanilla and almond extracts to the bowl and mix again until well incorporated.

Add the sifted all-purpose flour, sifted cornstarch, and salt to the bowl of the stand mixer, then mix on low speed just until the dough comes together. The dough will be thick and smooth. Do not overmix the dough or it can develop too much gluten, causing it to bake up tough rather than tender.

Refrigerate the dough for 10-15 minutes or just until chilled enough to easily scoop and roll into smooth balls.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 325°F and line two large (18x13-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Using a 1-tablespoon-sized cookie scoop, scoop out a level amount of dough, roll gently between the palms of your hands to form a smooth ball and place onto a prepared baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining dough, being sure to place the dough balls about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. You should be able to fit 15 cookies per baking sheet. If your baking sheets are smaller, you will need to bake the cookies in multiple batches.

Using the tines of a dinner fork, gently press down the top of each dough ball until the cookie is about 1½ inches wide when flattened. Dipping the tines of the fork into a little bit of flour prior to pressing into the cookie dough will help to keep the dough from sticking and will give smoother decorative lines on the tops of the cookies.

Add a few sprinkles to the tops of each cookie, then bake for 12-14 minutes. The cookies are done when they have slightly spread, puffed up, and are no longer glossy looking in the center. The bottoms may be very lightly golden, but the tops and sides should remain pale.

Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before serving them.