Description
Classic Christmas Cookies are soft, buttery, and lightly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts. These festive cookies are finished with red and green sanding sugar, perfect for holiday celebrations. The dough is chilled before baking to ensure a tender texture, making them ideal for cookie exchanges or family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter softened
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoon 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
- Prepare Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, add softened butter, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Turn the hand mixer to low speed and blend until a soft dough forms.
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours. This helps the dough firm up for easier shaping and better texture.
- Preheat Oven: After chilling, remove the dough from the fridge. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Shape Cookies: Form dough into balls using your hands or a cookie scoop, placing them on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart for proper spreading.
- Create Pattern and Add Sugar: Using a fork, gently press down on each dough ball to create a crisscross pattern on the top. Sprinkle generously with red and green sanding sugar for a festive finish.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 11 minutes. Avoid overbaking; cookies should not brown but remain soft and look slightly undercooked when removed.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Soften butter and cream cheese fully before mixing to avoid lumps in the dough.
- Remove cookies slightly underbaked; they will firm up as they cool for a soft texture.
- Use a cookie scoop to ensure all cookies are uniform in size and bake evenly.
- Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for easy cleanup and preventing sticking.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.
- Reheat cookies in the microwave for 5-10 seconds to enjoy warm, soft treats.
- Freeze baked cookies in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
- The dough can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 140 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 120 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
