Description
These Christmas Cookie Sparkles are super soft and creamy cream cheese sugar cookies rolled in colorful sprinkles, perfect for holiday celebrations. The dough is chilled for a tender texture, then baked to a delightful lightly browned finish and sprinkled with festive decorations.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 2 ounces (57g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Topping
- 3/4 cup (150g) sprinkles (sanding sugar, nonpareils, and/or jimmies)
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl until fully combined. Set this mixture aside for later.
- Cream Butter and Cream Cheese: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened unsalted butter and cream cheese on high speed for about 2 minutes until relatively smooth and creamy.
- Add Sugar and Flavorings: Add the granulated sugar to the butter and cream cheese mixture, beating until combined and creamy. Then add the egg, pure vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue beating on high speed for about 1 minute until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Dough: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until the dough comes together. The dough will be thick.
- Chill Dough: Cover the dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 3-4 days. If chilled longer than 2-3 hours, allow the dough to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling to soften.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
- Form and Coat Cookies: Roll tablespoon-sized balls of chilled dough. Roll each ball in sprinkles thoroughly to coat. Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gently press each ball slightly flat with the back of a measuring cup or drinking glass.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 13 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned.
- Cool Cookies: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store Cookies: Store the cookies covered at room temperature to keep fresh for up to 1 week.
Notes
- For best texture, ensure butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature before mixing.
- Dough can be prepared up to 3-4 days in advance, making it great for holiday planning.
- Allow dough to warm slightly before rolling if it becomes too hard from chilling.
- Use a variety of colored sprinkles like sanding sugar, nonpareils, and jimmies for a festive look.
- If you don't have almond extract, you may omit it or substitute with an equal amount of vanilla extract.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
