Description
Festive Christmas Cheesecake Cookies that combine a creamy cream cheese base with vibrant red and green marbled dough, flavored with peppermint and vanilla. These soft, light-colored cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations and easy to make with simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Dough
- 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Flavoring and Coloring
- Red food coloring
- Green food coloring
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- Optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Make Cream Cheese Mixture: Beat the cream cheese and butter together at high speed until fluffy and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat until fully incorporated and fluffy, another 1-2 minutes. Next, beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined, about 1 minute.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this to the cream cheese mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Avoid over-mixing to keep the dough tender.
- Divide and Chill Dough: Separate the dough evenly into three small bowls. Refrigerate the dough in each bowl for 15 minutes to firm up.
- Add Color and Peppermint: After chilling, add red food coloring to one bowl and green food coloring plus peppermint extract to another. Mix until the colors are evenly distributed. The dough may remain sticky; refrigerate briefly if needed to make handling easier.
- Form Cookies: Take 1/2 tablespoon of each colored dough and gently roll them together between your palms to create a marbled effect without overmixing. Place the formed balls on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake: Bake the cookies at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 11 minutes. The cookies should be light in color, not browned on top, with slight browning at the bottom. Baking times may vary depending on your oven.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Optionally, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze for up to three months.
- For a tangier cheesecake flavor, add one teaspoon of lemon juice or omit the extracts entirely. The peppermint extract can also be replaced or omitted based on preference.
- Avoid overbaking to prevent the cookies from becoming dry and biscuit-like; aim for light coloring.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 75 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
