Holiday Cream Cheese Cookies
Cream cheese cookies are one of my favorite cookies
to make. They seem to always be moist, yet a little
chewy and have that slight cheesecake flavor. They look
especially nice on a Christmas platter. The biggest hit
last year were the Cream Cheese Coconut Cookies, which are in
the picture. I couldn't make enough of these! I
had to work at keeping any to give away because the
kids and my husband kept eating them!
White Chocolate Chip CookiesIngredients:1/2 cup butter, room temperature 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (1/2 package) 1 tablespoon milk, half and half or cream 1 cup granulated sugar 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1/4 tsp. orange extract (optional) 1 cup all purpose flour 1 cup white chocolate chips 1/2 cup chopped pecans, or macadamia nut (optional) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter, cream cheese and milk in medium bowl at medium speed until well blended. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Mix in the flour. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Drop level measuring tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet, covered with parchment paper. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. These were very soft when first done, so I left them on the pan for ten minutes or so, then transferred to finished cooling. I also did not use the nuts-my son doesn't like them, and these were his request for the classroom party! They turned out great. Mini Chocolate Chip CookiesIngredients:1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie
sheets or spray lightly with cooking spray. Sift the flour and
salt into a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, cream cheese,
egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl until creamy. Gradually beat
in flour mixture. Stir in mini chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon
onto prepared baking sheets. Using your fingers or the back of
a spoon, slightly shape and flatten the dough. I found the cookie
looked much nicer when I did this. Bake for 10-12 minutes or
until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove
to wire racks to finish cooling.
Cream Cheese Coconut CookiesIngredients:1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract 1 (18.5 ounce) package yellow cake mix Optional: 1/2 cup coconut 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in the egg and extract. Add cake mix, and stir until well blended. Roll into 1 inch balls and coat in the confectioners' sugar. Place 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. ( I used parchment paper). Bake for 10 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. After a few minutes remove from baking sheets to cool. VARIATIONS: I substituted Duncan Hines Strawberry cake mix for the yellow cake mix and they were wonderful! I also used a buttercream chocolate cake mix, and left out the extract, and again it turned out great. They are SO pretty on a platter with a doily. I made enough to take one platter to each side of the family and sent them to school and work! Almond Cream Spritz CookiesIngredients:1 cup butter, softened 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups all-purpose flour Finely chopped almonds Beat butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl till well combined. Add sugar, almond extract, and vanilla; beat till combined. Beat in flour. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes or till easily worked but not too stiff. Pack dough into a cookie press. Force dough through press onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake in a 375 oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till edges of cookies are firm but not brown. Remove cookies and cool on wire racks. Makes about 60. About the author
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