Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. You'll notice it changes from grainy to pale and creamy.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and orange zest. Scrape down the bowl with a spatula because you don't want any unmixed butter hiding at the bottom.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, stirring in the milk between them.

Stir in the red food coloring until you get an even patriotic color throughout. Don't skip this step or you'll have streaky cookies instead of vibrant ones.

Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. I always chill mine for 10 minutes before baking because it prevents too much spreading.

Bake for 12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. The cookies continue cooking after you pull them out, so trust me on this timing.

Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Once they're completely cool, sprinkle white chocolate chips and white sprinkles on top for that patriotic look.