These cherry-topped Cream Cheese Cookies are one of my family's favorite Christmas cookies! We've been making these festive, melt-in-your mouth cookies for as long as I can remember.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time9 minutesmins
Chilling Time2 hourshrs
Total Time2 hourshrs39 minutesmins
Servings: 54cookies
Calories: 87kcal
Ingredients
1cupbuttersoftened
3ouncescream cheesesoftened
1cupgranulated sugar
1large egg
1teaspoonalmond extract
2 ½cupsall purpose flour
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonbaking soda
1cupfinely chopped walnuts
Maraschino cherrieshalved
Instructions
Using an electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together. Add sugar, egg, and almond extract and mix until well combined. Sift dry ingredients together over the mixer bowl; mix on lowest speed until combined.
Chill dough for at least 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Form dough into 1 inch balls. (Cookies turn out best when the dough balls are tiny.) Roll each ball in the chopped walnuts and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press a half cherry into each cookie.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, until barely set and lightly golden on the bottom. Be careful not to over-bake.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from Kristine's great-grandmother.