Yesterday we attended a kids’ Christmas cookie exchange at a friend’s house. The kids and I knew exactly the cookie we wanted to make, so for ease sake, I did a quick search on my blog to find my favorite Christmas cookie recipe only to realize I’ve never shared it on here before. What?!
I’ve shared all my other childhood favorites, from marinated chicken and noodles to Suzie’s chicken and even my bro’s favorite Mexican dip. But not my favorite Christmas cookie? Well, that changes now.
This cream cheese thumbprint Christmas cookie has been my favorite since childhood for a lot of reasons. I love the small size, the bright, happy aesthetic, the slight cream cheese flavor, and the fact that the cookie itself is not too sweet, so the icing adds just the right amount of complimenting sweetness. They’re delicious AND easy to customize to your favorite colors. They add such a bright pop of color to any cookie plate you plan on bringing to the neighbors.
The process is fairly simple (if you remember to put out your butter and cream cheese to soften). Mix the sugar, butter, and cream cheese. Add the egg yolk and vanilla. slowly add the flour. Refrigerate the dough for an hour. Roll, press in thumb, bake, fill with icing. Devour.
I hope you enjoy these delightful cream cheese thumbprint cookies as much as we do!
Cream Cheese Thumbprint Christmas Cookie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12-16 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Yield: 30 cookies 1x
Description
These delightful Christmas cookies are two-bite sized with a slight cream cheese flavor and have the perfect pop of sweetness from the simple icing. They can be customized to your favorite colors and a small pinch of sprinkles makes them a bright and happy addition to any cookie platter.
For the cookies
1 c butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c all purpose flour
For the icing
powdered sugar
water
sprinkles and/or food coloring
Instructions
Cream butter and cream cheese. Gradually add sugar, beating well until light and fluffy.
Add egg yolk and vanilla. Beat well.
Slowly add in the flour until well incorporated.
Chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325. Shape the dough into 1″ balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet. Press center to create a thumbprint before baking.
Bake cookies for 12-16 minutes until the bottom edges are a slight tan/light brown color. Remove from oven and let cool completely before adding icing.
For the icing
Add powdered sugar in a bowl and stir in a small (1 tsp-ish) amount of water until the desired consistency is reached.
To test the consistency, let the icing pour off a spoon. The icing should fall into a ribbon and hold the shape for a few seconds before melting back into the icing.
If the icing is too thick, add a drop of water and test again.
If the icing is too runny, add a little more powdered sugar.
Keywords: cream cheese, thumbprint
