Cream Cheese Cookies With Perfect Frosting For Christmas Or Any Day Food

CLASSIC CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine the butter and cream cheese and beat until well combined. Then add the sugar and beat on medium speed until well creamed together and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix until it's well combined.
• Slowly add the flour and beat on medium low speed until well combined and dough forms.
• Chill for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 350° Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Press a pecan into the top of each one or roll each ball in nonpareil sprinkles.
• Bake at 350°F for 12-15 minutes. Store in an airtight container.

EASY CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

Steps:

• Start off by adding 1/2 cup unsalted softened butter and 4 ounces softened cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric half mixer to cream them together really well.
• Now mix in 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar and mix it at low speed.
• Then add, 1 large egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix it in.
• Now sift in 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Mix the dry ingredients well. Now scoop out the cookie dough using a medium-sized cookie scoop.
• Then use your hands to round the dough into balls.
• Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated 375 degree Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes. Make sure to bake on the center rack.
• Once the cookies are cooled, dust them with a little bit of powdered sugar, and enjoy!

CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
• Combine the butter, vanilla, 4 ounces of the room-temperature cream cheese and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups of the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and beat until smooth, then add the flour and beat on low until the dough just comes together. Remove the frozen cream cheese from the freezer and chop into 1/4-inch cubes. Add the cubes to the dough, quickly stirring with a rubber spatula to evenly incorporate them into the dough. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
• Using a 1-ounce ice cream scoop or 2 tablespoons, scoop 12 portions of dough, roll into balls and transfer to the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Lightly flour the bottom of a 1/2-cup measuring cup and use it to flatten each cookie into a disk about 1/2 inch thick, re-flouring the cup after each cookie.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until the cookies look set but are still pale and barely brown on the bottom, 20 to 24 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, 2 cups sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture forms a thick paste. Add the milk and stir slowly until a thick glaze forms.
• When the cookies are cool, dip the entire surface of the top of each cookie in the glaze and lift up, letting the excess glaze drip off, then flip the cookie right-side up and onto the cooling rack. If the glaze is too thick, add another teaspoon of milk to loosen it. If using the cranberries or lime zest, sprinkle on top of the cookies while the glaze is still wet. Allow the glaze to set before serving, at least 10 minutes. Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

CREAM CHEESE CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream together the butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy.
• Combine the flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• On four sheets of aluminum foil, shape dough into four 6 inch rolls, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each roll tightly in foil and refrigerate over night.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with foil. Remove rolls of dough from refrigerator one at a time. Coat each roll with red or green sugar crystals; cut dough into 1/4 inch slices.
• Place on prepared cookie sheets; top each cookie with a pecan half. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until bottom of cookie is lightly browned when lifted.

CREAM CHEESE CHRISTMAS (HOLIDAY) COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix sugar, salt, butter, cream cheese, almond and vanilla extract, and egg yolk together well.
• Stir in flour until well blended.
• Chill dough for at least 30 minutes (I've chilled mine a little less than 24 hours but I wouldn't suggest going over that.).
• After You've taken the dough out of the chilled area (sometimes I use the garage) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured surface roll out 1/3-1/2 of the dough.
• Cut the dough to holiday shapes and place on an ungreased pan. (The cookies do not expand very much while cooking, so you can place them close together.).
• Here's where you can use the egg white! Spread the egg white over the top of the cookie and add sprinkle if you would like, or leave them plain and add frosting later!
• Bake the cookies 10 minutes (or until they're a light brown).
• Let cookies cool completely before adding any frosting.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING / ICING FOR COOKIES

Steps:

• Soften cream cheese for a few seconds in microwave if necessary. Heat cream, butter, and cream cheese in a small pot, just until the butter and cream cheese melt into the cream. (Stir frequently to avoid burning.).
• Remove the pot from the stove, and stir in the 3 cups of powdered sugar. You will have a goopy mess. Beat it with your electric mixer, until it changes color slightly (3-4 minutes.)
• Spoon, paint, or spread it on your cooled cookies. It will still be pretty thin and goopy, but it should spread in a nice, even coat. (I used the back of my spoon to spread it.)
• Let the icing 'set' for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until it hardens. It won't harden completely, but it will form a nice soft frosting layer that squishes only slightly when pressed, similar to a slice of cheese.
• I modified a regular icing recipe to make this, and was very disappointed with the results at first, but after I left the cookies on the counter for two hours, I was glad I saved them. The icing is perfect for transporting, and has a very good flavor, just right for carrot cake cookies.