Description
Delightfully soft and creamy Christmas Cookie Sparkles, these sugar cookies are infused with cream cheese for extra tenderness and rolled in colorful sprinkles for a festive touch. Perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting, they combine a tender crumb with a sparkling, playful exterior.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g), spooned & leveled
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (16 Tbsp; 226g)
- 2 ounces full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature (57g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Topping
- 3/4 cup sprinkles (sanding sugar, nonpareils, and/or jimmies) (150g)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Cream butter and cream cheese: In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together on high speed until the mixture is relatively smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Add sugar and flavorings: Add the granulated sugar and continue beating until combined and creamy. Incorporate the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract, beating on high speed for about 1 minute until fully combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. The dough will be thick and slightly stiff.
- Chill the dough: Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3-4 days. If chilling longer than 2-3 hours, allow the dough to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking to ensure proper spreading.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Roll and coat dough balls: Portion out about 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie and roll into balls. Roll each ball in sprinkles to fully coat the exterior. Place the coated dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Flatten cookies: Using the back of a measuring cup or a drinking glass, gently press down on each dough ball to slightly flatten them for even baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 13 minutes or until they are very lightly browned around the edges.
- Cool: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store: Store the completely cooled cookies covered at room temperature where they will stay fresh for up to 1 week.
Notes
- For best texture, use full-fat brick cream cheese softened to room temperature to ensure creamy, tender cookies.
- Rolling the dough balls in different types or colors of sprinkles adds a festive and decorative touch perfect for holidays.
- Allow the dough to rest at room temperature if chilled overnight to ensure proper spreading while baking.
- Using parchment paper or silicone mats on baking sheets prevents sticking and makes cleanup easier.
- You can substitute almond extract with an additional 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract if almond flavor is not desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
