Cream Cheese Sprinkle Cookies

12 Days of Sweets: Day 10

Cookies are the most iconic Christmas treat. Many spend hours baking cookies for gifts and treats for friends, family and neighbors. I absolutely love this little cream cheese cookie recipe because using different sprinkles gives your variety and makes it seem like you’ve baked a bunch of different batches. They also happen to be packed with cream cheese and cinnamon flavor (one of my most favorite combinations!).

Sugar cookie dough, like this recipe, need time to refrigerate so the fat can set up. If you try to bake it right away the dough will be very loose and won’t hold its shape well. Also, pressing the tops down so the cookies are even in height helps to give the cookies an even bake. Without this step you can risk the middles not baking all the way and the cookies will not be uniform in shape after baking.

Aside from the composition of the cookies you will want to take extra care and consideration with the sprinkles. You really do want to use any that are too big. They won’t lay correctly on the cookie and can be tough on your teeth. We like to use a bunch of different types for a fun mix; however, you do not need to do this. We find that jimmies and sanding sugar work best. Nonpareils look beautiful, but can be quite crunchy. You may want to taste your sprinkles before rolling the cookies; if you don’t like the way they taste then you likely won’t like them on the cookie either. Once baked you can store these in an airtight container for up to one week to enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of cream cheese – softened
• 1/2 cup of butter – softened
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of sprinkles or sanding sugar

Method:

1. Cream together cream cheese, butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
3. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture scraping down the sides of the bowl often.
4. Cover cookie dough and chill for at least one hour – preferably overnight.
5. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
6. Roll cookie dough into tablespoon sized balls and cover completely with sprinkles.
7. Place cookie dough balls on baking sheet at least two inches apart.
8. Use a flat surface and gently flatten to cookies slightly to ensure an even bake.
9. Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes or until the start to crackle on top.
10. Allow cookies to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to one week. This recipe yields approximately 3 dozen cookies.