Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies
Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for the holiday baking season to begin! Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies are a delightful cookie to serve for your holiday parties, Christmas Cookie Exchanges or even for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Day menus. These thumbprint style cookies are incredibly delicious and filled with Cherry Preserves (which are usually available year round).
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I was contacted by a writer for our local neighborhood magazine back in July. Apparently, my husband and I were suggested for a write-up for the community section. Because we make treats yearly for the 100 homes in our particular neighborhood (of a 3000+ home community), they wanted pictures of some of our Christmas baking treats.
Since I had been wanting to do a remake of my Cherry Almond Bars to get better pictures, I made up a batch of those. The photographer wanted pictures that popped, so I also made these lovely Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies based on my Apricot Cream Cheese Cookie recipe. Both cookies were cherry flavored and both were heavenly. Since it was very early August when I baked the cookies, the neighbors on our street were treated to Christmas early! 🙂
Let me give you a few hints about making these cookies. You must chill the dough before baking. I chill it at least an hour but even a few hours is good. Otherwise, the dough is too sticky to roll into balls. I had to use grated lemon peel from a spice jar, but using fresh grated lemon rind is better. I had run out of lemons and didn’t have time to go to the store. Use a very fine grating section on your grater and grate away!
I use either my thumb, forefinger or the bottom of a wooden spoon to poke the holes in the cookie dough. Use whatever method is easiest for you. Finally, put just a dab of the preserves in each indentation. I use between 1/8 and 1/4 teaspoon. Too much and the preserves overflow the hole while baking (since the jam expands under the hot oven temperature). Just a little dab will do ya!
These lovely Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies make about 5 dozen cookies so they’re really great to make for company, parties or Christmas gift-giving. If you have a sweet tooth in your family, they’ll love digging into these scrumptious cookies.
Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies are marvelous!
These are great cookies to bring along to a Christmas Cookie Exchange.
Because each batch makes 5 dozen cookies, these are great to take along to any holiday or office party.
If you enjoy cherries, you’ll love these luscious Thumbprint Cookies!
Here’s what I did.
I used these ingredients.
Place softened cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl. I usually leave both out on the counter the night before to soften.
Add granulated sugar.
Beat mixture with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add eggs, lemon peel and lemon juice.
Beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly incorporated. Add baking powder.
Mix again until well incorporated.
Add UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour. Bleached flour toughens baked goods.
Gently mix in flour on low speed of electric mixer until thoroughly mixed. CHILL DOUGH A MINIMUM OF ONE HOUR!
Roll dough into balls and place on greased baking sheets.
Using a thumb or finger, make indentations in the center of each ball of dough.
Fill indentations with 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cherry preserves. DO NOT OVERFILL!
Bake at 350 degrees about 15-20 minutes; rotate cookie sheets on oven racks after 10 minutes of baking time.
Allow cookies to cool completely before sifting powdered sugar over top of each one.
Stack them up and start eating!
It’s time to put the apron on and start with fall and Christmas baking!
Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies are a perfectly satisfying sweet treat for those sugar cravings during the day!
I actually baked these cookies when fresh cherries were still in season.
Here’s the recipe.
CHERRY CREAM CHEESE COOKIES
(Recipe inspired from Shirley Lott’s, Apricot Cream Cheese Cookies, Duncanville, TX)
Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies
Equipment
- 3 large 18×26" cookie sheet pans
- cooking spray
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 electric mixer
- 1 wooden spoon
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- 1 hand grater or zester to zest fresh lemons
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind (fresh preferred)
- 4 1/2 cups UNBLEACHED all-purpose flour (bleached flour toughens baked goods)
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 3/4 cup cherry preserves
- 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar (or as needed)
Instructions
- Combine butter, granulated sugar and softened cream cheese in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, mixing until well blended.
- Blend in eggs, lemon juice and rind.
- Add combined dry ingredients; mix well.
- Chill dough at least one hour.
- Shape level tablespoonfuls of dough and roll into balls.
- Place on cookie sheets sprayed with cooking spray.
- Using thumb or finger indent centers; fill each indentation with about 1/8 to ¼ tsp. of cherry preserves.
- Bake at 350° for about 15-20 minutes.
- Rotate cookie sheets on oven racks after 10 minutes of baking time.
- Cool; sift confectioner’s sugar over top of each cookie.
Notes
© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen
Nutrition
These are marvelous cookies for Tailgating Parties during the holidays too!
We loved how these cookies turned out.
Cherry lovers will find these cookies addictive!
Cherry Cream Cheese Cookies are sure to float your boat!
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