The Story Behind the Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
This has to be the first story I write because there are so many wonderful memories wrapped up in this one simple, holiday cookie recipe.
Ever since I can remember, this was the recipe my mom used for making Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies. The only exception is that her original recipe used sour cream instead of cream cheese. The addition of cream cheese was shared with me by one of my Florida college besties named Kristi. We were exchanging cookie recipes and we both came across our sugar cookie recipe. Everything about the recipe was exactly the same except Kristi used cream cheese instead of sour cream and that made a huge difference. Swapping the cream cheese for the sour cream made the cookies sweeter, thicker, and they have a more "professional" kind of vibe to them.
You can see the thickness of the baked cookie. Whenever I serve these up at any gathering, Plain Jane or Mary Jane, they disappear. This year I added a canna-infused chocolate drizzle to finish off the decorating. Usually I frost these babies and decorate the heck out of them but for gift giving, I chose to make them look a little more decadent and a little more tasty than the frosting I usually make. Although my cream cheese frosting is something to write home about for sure. But, I digress...
Ever since I can remember, this was the recipe my mom used for making Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies. The only exception is that her original recipe used sour cream instead of cream cheese. The addition of cream cheese was shared with me by one of my Florida college besties named Kristi. We were exchanging cookie recipes and we both came across our sugar cookie recipe. Everything about the recipe was exactly the same except Kristi used cream cheese instead of sour cream and that made a huge difference. Swapping the cream cheese for the sour cream made the cookies sweeter, thicker, and they have a more "professional" kind of vibe to them.
You can see the thickness of the baked cookie. Whenever I serve these up at any gathering, Plain Jane or Mary Jane, they disappear. This year I added a canna-infused chocolate drizzle to finish off the decorating. Usually I frost these babies and decorate the heck out of them but for gift giving, I chose to make them look a little more decadent and a little more tasty than the frosting I usually make. Although my cream cheese frosting is something to write home about for sure. But, I digress...
I love that I have my recipe from over 30 years ago, although I don't have the original one that my mom wrote out and I wish I did. I'm sure a family member out there has one of her originals. She had the most beautiful handwriting but I must have tossed it out when I chicken scratched this one. At least I included my mom's original key ingredient. I'd love to know where she first found this recipe.
As my children were growing up, making and decorating these cookies was a highlight of the holiday season. To this day, we still have a family night when we all get together and make, bake, and decorate our sugar cookie cut outs. We already have the date on the calendar this year and I'm sure there will be some memories in the making that night. We've gone from little girls innocently decorating their sweet cookies, carefully placing orange sprinkles for a snowman cut-outs nose or meticulously putting icing and colored sugars on their Christmas Trees to inappropriately decorated camels and gingerbread boys and girls. I'll spare you the details, I'm sure you can use your imagination.
When the girls were small we always used cream cheese frosting, but over the years we done a combination of sprinkles with chocolate drizzle or crushed peppermint pieces that melt when baked and allow for a pepperminty burst when you take a bite.
When the girls were small we always used cream cheese frosting, but over the years we done a combination of sprinkles with chocolate drizzle or crushed peppermint pieces that melt when baked and allow for a pepperminty burst when you take a bite.
I'd like to share a couple tips for having success with this beloved recipe. Honestly, the recipe is straight forward and easy but I've learned how to make the process go a little more smoothly over the years.
First, if you are using canna-butter or any canna-infused liquids in this recipe, mix all wet liquids first and thoroughly blend. I use cannabis oil for this recipe so that I can taste the traditional taste instead of any cannabis flavors. I don't mind the flavor of a cannabis infused edible but don't mess with my sugar cookie taste. After all the liquids are mixed, including the eggs, then slowly add the dry ingredients. I like to put all my dry ingredients into one bowl and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Going slowly will keep you from over-beating the dough which will make the dough less firm, even after chilling it. When you have extra dough from the first half, you can fold the dough up and place it back in the fridge until you get to the end of your second batch of dough and then put them together. They will be close to the same consistency. You can gently roll them into a ball again, not a perfect ball like below (Kelly did that for our Dough for Dough
Dough-Nation Program) but a semi rounded ball. It's okay if the bottom is flat.
First, if you are using canna-butter or any canna-infused liquids in this recipe, mix all wet liquids first and thoroughly blend. I use cannabis oil for this recipe so that I can taste the traditional taste instead of any cannabis flavors. I don't mind the flavor of a cannabis infused edible but don't mess with my sugar cookie taste. After all the liquids are mixed, including the eggs, then slowly add the dry ingredients. I like to put all my dry ingredients into one bowl and gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Going slowly will keep you from over-beating the dough which will make the dough less firm, even after chilling it. When you have extra dough from the first half, you can fold the dough up and place it back in the fridge until you get to the end of your second batch of dough and then put them together. They will be close to the same consistency. You can gently roll them into a ball again, not a perfect ball like below (Kelly did that for our Dough for Dough
Dough-Nation Program) but a semi rounded ball. It's okay if the bottom is flat.
While my dough is chilling, I clean off my counter and lay down a mat where I can cut the cookies in a wide open space. I flour the entire surface and keep the bag of flour close at hand because rolling out the dough absorbs quite a bit of flour. When I pull the ball of wrapped dough out of the fridge after chilling it for a couple hours, I leave it on the floured mat and allow it to soften just a bit before firmly beginning to push the dough down to begin flattening it out into a large rectangle-ish shape.
Try and keep the dough a little thicker than you normally would when making sugar cookies. These cookies need some "umph" to them and are so fun to bite into when they are a little thicker.
I flour my rolling pin as well as my cookie cutters to keep things from sticking. I try and use the open cookie cutters for this recipe because this dough can get a little sticky towards the end and you can gently push them out if you have the open cutters.
I flour my rolling pin as well as my cookie cutters to keep things from sticking. I try and use the open cookie cutters for this recipe because this dough can get a little sticky towards the end and you can gently push them out if you have the open cutters.
I usually cut all the tree cookies at once, followed by all the stars, etc... This makes the process more efficient and easier than randomly choosing shapes. I also find the cookies bake more evenly when they are all the same.
I put the sprinkles and any candy bites, like crushed peppermints, on before I bake the cookies so that they melt into the baking dough. The crushed peppermints will melts and spread a little and tastes great when you bite into them. If I decide to frost them, I don't put any decorations on until after the frosting goes on.
My oven bakes a tray of cookies in about 8-10 minutes but each oven is different. Watch your first batch and take out right when the edges begin to brown. Don't wait! You want these to be a little doughy because they will continue to bake on the cookie sheet while they are cooking.
Notice the thickness of these Christmas Trees?
I put the sprinkles and any candy bites, like crushed peppermints, on before I bake the cookies so that they melt into the baking dough. The crushed peppermints will melts and spread a little and tastes great when you bite into them. If I decide to frost them, I don't put any decorations on until after the frosting goes on.
My oven bakes a tray of cookies in about 8-10 minutes but each oven is different. Watch your first batch and take out right when the edges begin to brown. Don't wait! You want these to be a little doughy because they will continue to bake on the cookie sheet while they are cooking.
Notice the thickness of these Christmas Trees?
I think that's all I needed to share with you. Let me know what you do to evolve this recipe to make it your own. Or, use it just as it appears here. I've never had this recipe fail on me and I've been making these cookies since I was just a little girl and am still making them with my own family 50 (some) years later.
Need a gift for someone special? Make a batch of dough for a friend or family member and let them roll out their dough and create their favorite holiday cookies. You'll be creating an opportunity for someone to make some happy memories for years to come. You can make your recipe Plain Jane or Mary Jane because both recipes taste delicious.
Need a gift for someone special? Make a batch of dough for a friend or family member and let them roll out their dough and create their favorite holiday cookies. You'll be creating an opportunity for someone to make some happy memories for years to come. You can make your recipe Plain Jane or Mary Jane because both recipes taste delicious.
I hope you enjoyed my first story. You can find this recipe on the Sweet Somethings page, under the Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie image.
If you'd like to join our newsletter, please subscribe below. I love sharing new recipes and tips with my fellow baking friends; Plain Janes as well as Mary Janes. Muh!
If you'd like to join our newsletter, please subscribe below. I love sharing new recipes and tips with my fellow baking friends; Plain Janes as well as Mary Janes. Muh!
