Description
Sweet dreams come alive with these cream cheese sugar cookies, blending classic comfort and delicate flavor. Perfectly balanced between tender crumb and rich texture, you’ll savor each delightful bite of this irresistible homemade treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies:
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ounces (85 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups (313 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Decorations (Optional):
- Sprinkles
- Powdered sugar
- Royal icing or buttercream frosting
Instructions
- Prepare a spacious mixing vessel and vigorously blend butter, cream cheese, and sugar until the mixture transforms into a creamy, aerated consistency, approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract, stirring thoroughly until the ingredients harmonize seamlessly.
- In a separate container, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt, ensuring a uniform texture.
- Gradually integrate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, gently folding until a cohesive dough forms without overmixing.
- Envelop the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, allowing the ingredients to meld and the dough to firm up.
- Heat the oven to 350F (175C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Dust a clean surface with flour and roll the chilled dough to approximately 1/4-inch thickness.
- Utilize cookie cutters to create desired shapes, delicately transferring each piece onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching for edges to turn a light golden hue.
- Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before relocating to a wire cooling rack.
- Embellish with powdered sugar, festive sprinkles, or royal icing for a delightful, personalized touch.
Notes
- Soften butter and cream cheese at room temperature beforehand to ensure smooth, even mixing without lumps.
- Use a stand mixer or electric hand mixer for the best creaming technique, which incorporates air for lighter cookies.
- Chill dough for at least 2 hours or overnight to prevent spreading and maintain intricate cookie shapes during baking.
- Rotate baking sheets halfway through cooking to guarantee uniform golden edges and prevent uneven browning.
- Dust work surface lightly with flour to prevent sticky dough from sticking and making rolling challenging.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container between parchment layers to maintain texture and prevent crumbling.
- Replace wheat flour with gluten-free blend for celiac-friendly version without compromising taste or texture.
- Experiment with different extracts like almond or lemon to create unique flavor variations that surprise taste buds.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg