Your cookie cutters may sit in a bag in the cupboard for eleven months out of the year, but once the holidays arrive it’s go time. Kristina Moy, Red Tricycle’s Seattle Editor, whips out her Christmas tree cookie cutter each year to make her favorite recipe: cream cheese Christmas Tree cookies with vanilla frosting. She tells us that the recipe works best if you double it, use one 8 oz. package of cream cheese and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours before rolling it out.
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Method:
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour until well blended. Chill the dough for 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness, refrigerating remaining dough until ready to use. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain for frosting, or brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or colored sugar.
4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.
Click here to find more Christmas cookie recipes like this.
Tell us how your Christmas Tree cookies turn out in the comment section below!
photo above courtesy of Kristina Moy; featured photo credit EvanMischelle via flickr; recipe courtesy of Allrecipes.com
