Description
Classic Christmas Cookies are soft, buttery treats perfect for the holiday season. These festive cookies feature a delicate blend of butter, cream cheese, and a hint of almond extract, decorated with colorful red and green sanding sugar for a cheerful presentation. Soft and slightly underbaked for the perfect texture, they will delight family and friends during holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Topping
- Red & Green Sanding Sugar
Instructions
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, add the softened butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Turn the hand mixer to low speed and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 2 hours to chill the dough.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: Once chilled, remove the dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Form Cookies: Shape the dough into balls and place them on the lined baking sheet at least 1 inch apart from each other.
- Decorate: Using a fork, gently press down on each dough ball to create a criss-cross pattern. Sprinkle each cookie with red or green sanding sugar.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 11 minutes. Ensure the cookies do not brown at the edges; they should appear slightly undercooked when removed from the oven for a soft texture.
- Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Soften butter and cream cheese fully to avoid lumps in the dough.
- Remove cookies when slightly underbaked; they firm up as they cool for the perfect soft texture.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized and shaped cookies.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for easy cleanup.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
- Reheat cookies in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to enjoy warm and soft treats.
- Freeze baked cookies in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
- Dough can be prepared 2-3 days in advance and kept refrigerated or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
