christmas cookie mvp: cream cheese sugar cookies
My mama LOVES these. Granted, the woman will eat damn near anything that I put in front of her, but she has a particular affinity for this Christmas cookie MVP: my cream cheese sugar cookies.
I've toyed with this recipe over the years and this is the final product. These cookies are rich, dense, and flavorful. They're also incredibly festive looking, whether you choose to just roll them in sprinkles before baking or if you opt to frost and decorate them. They're the perfect soft sugar cookie. This recipe is super easy to double, too.
However, a small word of caution: you HAVE to chill the dough. For at least two hours. Otherwise, it's a sticky damn mess that you can't do anything with. Unchilled dough is worse than a reindeer turd in your stocking.
JUST. CHILL. THE. DOUGH!
cream cheese sugar cookies
prep time: 20 minutes | chill time: at least 2 hours | cook time: 7-10 minutes per batch
experience level: easy-peasy | specialty: vegetarian
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 package (4 ounces) Neufchâtel cheese [or full-fat cream cheese, your choice]
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- nonpareils, jimmies, colored sugar, frosting, or other delightful cookie decorations
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit / 190 degrees Celsius.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and cream cheese. Beat until fluffy. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl and beaters if necessary. The cream cheese can gunk up the dough if you don't mix it all in well. Add extracts and egg yolk, and mix until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, stir together salt and flour. Gradually beat the dry mixture into the wet mixture, being careful to blend thoroughly between additions. When all of the flour is added in and the dough is uniform, place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the dough and allow to chill for at least 2 hours (though preferably overnight).
When you're ready to bake, you've got two options:
(1) the easy (yet still festive) way [my preference]
Roll the dough into 1/2 inch balls with your hands. Dip them in the sprinkles of your choice and flatten the dough using the palm of your hand to make flat circles. Place on a cookie sheet, 1 dozen at a time.
(2) the perfect pinterest mom way [hahahaha, yeah, I'm way too lazy for that]
Remove dough from fridge and allow to rest for 10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out, one-third at a time, to 1/8 inches thick. Cut into shapes using the cookie cutters of your choice. If you plan to frost them, skip the sprinkle rolling step above. Just make sure they're completely cooled before you do that.
Either way, make sure the cookies are at least an inch apart, as they'll expand during cooking. Bake for 7-10 minutes in the preheated oven. I recommend cooking them for the most minimal time possible (just until the edges start to become golden).
Pro Tip: Allow the cookies to stay on the hot cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes after removing them from the oven. The heat from the pan will continue to bake them without burning them or drying them out.
Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks or in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.
P.S. - These are great to make with kids...and they're "Santa approved."
