A generous dollop of cream cheese makes these festive cookies a decadent treat for Christmas.
Cream Cheese-Stuffed Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Serves: 14
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 large egg, room temperature and beaten
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup crushed soft peppermint candies,* divided
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat butter and ¾ cup sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Gradually add egg, beating until well combined and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in extract.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat at low speed just until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
- In a small bowl, stir together cream cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cover dough and cream cheese mixture with plastic wrap, and freeze for 25 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop dough by level tablespoonfuls, and shape into 2-inch disks. Spoon 1½ teaspoons cream cheese mixture in center of half of disks; cover with remaining disks, and crimp edges closed. Gently shape into balls; roll balls in ½ cup crushed candies. Place 2½ inches apart on prepared pans. Gently flatten balls to ¾-inch thickness, pressing together any cracks in edges, if necessary.
- Bake until edges are set and bottoms are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Gently press remaining ½ cup crushed candies into top of cookies. Let cool on pans for 3 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
*We used Bob's Olde Timey Peppermint Candy Pure Sugar Sticks.
Kitchen Tip: If crushed peppermint isn’t sticking to dough as much as you’d like, lightly spray dough with warm water before rolling in candy. Do not substitute hard peppermint candy.
Kitchen Tip: If crushed peppermint isn’t sticking to dough as much as you’d like, lightly spray dough with warm water before rolling in candy. Do not substitute hard peppermint candy.
