I’m wondering about the glaze on these…does it harden? Basically, I’m looking for cookies that will ship well – will the glaze on these harden enough to ship? Thanks!
These do look great! I agree – these types of cookies usually need some sort of “ooomph” and I bet the cream cheese does just that.
Thanks for the 12 recipes – it’s been fun to check every day – not sure I would have been able to manage a post for 12 days straight! But – you’ve given me enough motivation to whip up a few batches of cookies for a work potluck – one definitely being mexican choco ;)
Amazing addition of the cream cheese to the cookies and frosting! I love cream cheese and will have to try this trick to a classic butter cookie. Thanks.
Whew! You made it! ;) Seriously, kudos to you for undertaking what I know must have been a very time-consuming task. But, clearly, this series has been a labor of love. Such lovely photos, such yummy recipes! I’ve been feeling a bit bah-humbug lately, but your cookies posts have really helped put me in the holiday frame of mind. xo, Dawn
My husband alerted me to your site via your recipe on Design*Sponge because he recognized my love of baking and distaste for boring cookies (and love of adding cayenne to most, if not all, things chocolate). Thank you so much for your fun and inspiring 12 days of cookies. I have been brainstorming what assortment would be best for passing out to neighbors and I have a feeling that more than one of your recipes will make the cut.
I do have one question – do you think I could use homemade yogurt cheese or mascarpone instead of cream cheese or would they ruin the texture? Thanks! Happy baking and Merry Christmas!
Hi Ginger, my advice is always to give it a try! As long as the cheese you are using has some tang, I think they will work out okay. Let me know what you discover…
Hi! So, are you so tired of baking that I couldn’t coax you into baking up some of these wonderful cookies and delivering them to some working compatriots at an ad agency in Chicago? I live in Santa Fe so can’t do it myself:-) What a terrific site…..and recipes!
Thanks,
Amanda
I agree with the cream cheese addition to sugar cookies. Otherwise sugar cookies are way too sweet when you add the icing in. The other alternative is to add lemon rind in so the sweet bite is eased by the citrus. Looking forward to trying these out.
Thanks for the great recipes! I look forward to perhaps adding a few to my ‘best of/repeat bake’ christmas cookie list. A question on this as well as the other recipes….would you be able to add the quantity yielded per recipe? I make cookie boxes as presents and would love to know how many cookies per batch. Happy holidays!
Hi Casey! Thanks for the nice comment. I’ll try to do better job of adding yields to cookie recipes. I am sometimes reluctant to do this because they vary so much depending on how cookies are formed. These in particular are hard for me to say. Depending on the size of cookie cutter you use, you can get anywhere from 20-40 cookies out of this. I end up with around 28 using a 2 1/2-inch circle cutter.
Dear Tim,
Like some others, I came here via 101 cookbooks and fell for your 12 days of cookies idea and your great photos. I made the Mexican Chocolate ones, the rugelach, and now these wonderful butter cookies. All turned out wonderfully delicious. Thanks for culling these great recipes from all the Christmas cookie recipes out there. Happy holidays to you!
since it was cool and rainy here today (so cal), i thought a comfort meal dinner was in order (chicken divan in the oven) with some delicious cookies for dessert. i was thinking shortbread but decided on these when i went looking for recipes to inspire me. i’m a bit nervous about the dough (now chilling) because it seems a bit on the dry side and i know i followed the recipe. so we’ll see. seriously though, even if they’re a bit crumbly i’m pretty sure i’ll still be able to choke ’em down – especially with the glaze :-)
okay. they’re gorgeous and delicious! i didn’t have vanilla extract (actually am making my own but it won’t be ready until december!) so i used almond and used pure irish butter for the first time. a wonderful difference. also used seeds from two vanilla beans in the glaze. sigh….
Hi Tim! I have to make a couple hundred of these for a wedding, so am doing it in advance. Do you think these would freeze okay with the glaze on them, or should I freeze the cookies plain and glaze them later? Opinion appreciated– thank you!
Hey Nuala- Eeks! My guess is that the laze will not freeze well, but I have never tried. I would probably do a test batch and see what happens…but I think freezing the cookies and glazing later makes the most sense.
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Simran says:
December 12th, 2009 at 10:47 am
It was fun following your 12 days. I’ve certainly bookmarked more than one of these 12 for my next round of cookie baking.
Tara says:
December 12th, 2009 at 11:29 am
I’m wondering about the glaze on these…does it harden? Basically, I’m looking for cookies that will ship well – will the glaze on these harden enough to ship? Thanks!
heather @ chiknpastry says:
December 12th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
These do look great! I agree – these types of cookies usually need some sort of “ooomph” and I bet the cream cheese does just that.
Thanks for the 12 recipes – it’s been fun to check every day – not sure I would have been able to manage a post for 12 days straight! But – you’ve given me enough motivation to whip up a few batches of cookies for a work potluck – one definitely being mexican choco ;)
Sarah says:
December 12th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
What, no comment about how your amazing (and Jewish) friend Sarah inspired the star of david shapes?
Tim says:
December 12th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
Hi Tara, these won’t ship well. The glaze does harden, but not enough to make shipping a good idea.
Tim says:
December 12th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Yes, Sarah, you inspired these cookies. Sorry I neglected to point that out.
Jen S says:
December 12th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Amazing addition of the cream cheese to the cookies and frosting! I love cream cheese and will have to try this trick to a classic butter cookie. Thanks.
Joyce says:
December 12th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Thanks for such an eclectic, enticing endeavor! Can’t wait to try several soon.
Dawn says:
December 12th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Whew! You made it! ;) Seriously, kudos to you for undertaking what I know must have been a very time-consuming task. But, clearly, this series has been a labor of love. Such lovely photos, such yummy recipes! I’ve been feeling a bit bah-humbug lately, but your cookies posts have really helped put me in the holiday frame of mind. xo, Dawn
Dawn says:
December 12th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
p.s. – did you buy the crystal sugar on line? Or locally? It’s nice and sparkly.
Tim says:
December 12th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Hey Dawn! Thanks for all of the support. I got the sugar at a local grocery store but it is manufactured by King Arthur and available here: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/sparkling-white-sugar-1-lb
sheau says:
December 12th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
beautiful presentation…deliciously looking…thank you so much for sharing!
Ginger says:
December 13th, 2009 at 7:26 pm
My husband alerted me to your site via your recipe on Design*Sponge because he recognized my love of baking and distaste for boring cookies (and love of adding cayenne to most, if not all, things chocolate). Thank you so much for your fun and inspiring 12 days of cookies. I have been brainstorming what assortment would be best for passing out to neighbors and I have a feeling that more than one of your recipes will make the cut.
I do have one question – do you think I could use homemade yogurt cheese or mascarpone instead of cream cheese or would they ruin the texture? Thanks! Happy baking and Merry Christmas!
Tim says:
December 13th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Hi Ginger, my advice is always to give it a try! As long as the cheese you are using has some tang, I think they will work out okay. Let me know what you discover…
Caroline says:
December 14th, 2009 at 10:08 am
phew… what a run! It has been great. And, congrats on the Design Sponge spot!
Lisa says:
December 14th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Thanks for all the wonderful recipes!! Can’t wait to get busy baking.
Amanda says:
December 15th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Hi! So, are you so tired of baking that I couldn’t coax you into baking up some of these wonderful cookies and delivering them to some working compatriots at an ad agency in Chicago? I live in Santa Fe so can’t do it myself:-) What a terrific site…..and recipes!
Thanks,
Amanda
sarah says:
December 15th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I agree with the cream cheese addition to sugar cookies. Otherwise sugar cookies are way too sweet when you add the icing in. The other alternative is to add lemon rind in so the sweet bite is eased by the citrus. Looking forward to trying these out.
Casey says:
December 17th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Thanks for the great recipes! I look forward to perhaps adding a few to my ‘best of/repeat bake’ christmas cookie list. A question on this as well as the other recipes….would you be able to add the quantity yielded per recipe? I make cookie boxes as presents and would love to know how many cookies per batch. Happy holidays!
Tim says:
December 17th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Hi Casey! Thanks for the nice comment. I’ll try to do better job of adding yields to cookie recipes. I am sometimes reluctant to do this because they vary so much depending on how cookies are formed. These in particular are hard for me to say. Depending on the size of cookie cutter you use, you can get anywhere from 20-40 cookies out of this. I end up with around 28 using a 2 1/2-inch circle cutter.
emm says:
December 19th, 2009 at 6:19 am
Dear Tim,
Like some others, I came here via 101 cookbooks and fell for your 12 days of cookies idea and your great photos. I made the Mexican Chocolate ones, the rugelach, and now these wonderful butter cookies. All turned out wonderfully delicious. Thanks for culling these great recipes from all the Christmas cookie recipes out there. Happy holidays to you!
Tim says:
December 19th, 2009 at 11:02 am
Thanks, emm! I glad you are enjoying the cookies.
natalie says:
December 31st, 2009 at 11:06 am
thank you! i was looking for this recipe. love the site.
Annalea says:
October 5th, 2010 at 6:28 pm
since it was cool and rainy here today (so cal), i thought a comfort meal dinner was in order (chicken divan in the oven) with some delicious cookies for dessert. i was thinking shortbread but decided on these when i went looking for recipes to inspire me. i’m a bit nervous about the dough (now chilling) because it seems a bit on the dry side and i know i followed the recipe. so we’ll see. seriously though, even if they’re a bit crumbly i’m pretty sure i’ll still be able to choke ’em down – especially with the glaze :-)
Annalea says:
October 5th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
okay. they’re gorgeous and delicious! i didn’t have vanilla extract (actually am making my own but it won’t be ready until december!) so i used almond and used pure irish butter for the first time. a wonderful difference. also used seeds from two vanilla beans in the glaze. sigh….
Nuala says:
May 9th, 2013 at 9:33 am
Hi Tim! I have to make a couple hundred of these for a wedding, so am doing it in advance. Do you think these would freeze okay with the glaze on them, or should I freeze the cookies plain and glaze them later? Opinion appreciated– thank you!
Tim says:
May 9th, 2013 at 9:51 am
Hey Nuala- Eeks! My guess is that the laze will not freeze well, but I have never tried. I would probably do a test batch and see what happens…but I think freezing the cookies and glazing later makes the most sense.