Description
Classic Christmas Cookies with a soft, fluffy texture and festive red and green sanding sugar decoration. These cookies are easy to make, chilled for perfect dough consistency, and baked to soft perfection without browning, making them ideal for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
Dry Ingredients
- 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 on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Turn the hand mixer to a low speed and combine the ingredients until a soft dough forms.
- Chill the Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours to allow it to firm up, making it easier to handle and enhancing the texture of the cookies.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheet: After chilling, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Shape and Decorate Cookies: Using your hands or a cookie scoop, form dough balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Using a fork, gently press each dough ball to create a crisscross pattern on top. Sprinkle generously with red and green sanding sugar.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 11 minutes. Make sure not to overbake; the cookies should remain soft and look slightly undercooked when you remove them from the oven—avoid any browning on the edges.
- Cool Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This will help them set and maintain their soft texture.
Notes
- Soften butter and cream cheese fully before mixing to avoid lumps and ensure a smooth dough.
- Remove cookies slightly underbaked; they will firm up as they cool, resulting in a soft texture.
- Use a cookie scoop for evenly sized and shaped cookies for consistent baking.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days to maintain freshness.
- Reheat cookies in the microwave for 5-10 seconds if you prefer them warm and soft.
- Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container 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 for convenience.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
