One of my very favorite holiday things is to bake oodles of Christmas cookies with my boys. Well, let me be honest…I love to bake Christmas cookies and doing it with the boys makes special memories each and every time. I want my boys to remember those laughs, those sneaky bites of dough, and the gigantic mess we made together. I also love to bake Christmas cookies all by myself, sans the sweat and stress of baking with children. 🙂 But it’s all about those memories, right?
To kick off the holiday baking season, I made two different thumbprint cookies, and these red velvet thumbprints, filled with a yummy cream cheese filling did not disappoint! It’s like a delicious cheesecake and cookie all wrapped into one. A simple, beautiful addition to your holiday cookie plate and would be a perfect recipe for your next cookie exchange!
Now before we get to all that yumminess, let’s talk my very favorite holiday bakeware, because are you really making Christmas cookies if you don’t have festive spatulas and festive boxes to keep them in? 🙂
I rounded up some of my favorite holiday baking purchases and some that I just flat out fell in love with. Keep in mind, another location to find awesome deals on Christmas bakeware is your local Home Goods or TJ Maxx (only sold in store). They never disappoint with their selection at such a great cost. Most times, I’ll snag my cookie sheets or storage containers because the prices just cannot be beat!
But if you’re in a pinch and looking for something festive and fun online, check out some of my very favorites to grab this holiday baking season!
Holiday Plaid Apron // $11.99 Amazon
KitchenAid 5-Quart Mixing Bowl // 99.99 Crate and Barrel (limited time only!)
Red Snowflake Treat Boxes // $3.49 Michael’s
Non-Stick Baking Mat // $13.99 for set of 2 Amazon
Holiday Stripe Measuring Spoons // $12.95 Crate & Barrel
Holiday Stripe Mixing Bowl // $19.95 Crate & Barrel
Holiday Cookie Stamp // $17 Target
Cookie Tester Spatula // $1.00!! Target
Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Big Sheet // $15.39 Amazon
Red and White Stripe Chef Apron // $8.99 Amazon
Now for the yumminess! These are popable, these are addicting, and these are dangerous. You’ve been warned, guys…
Red Velvet Cream Cheese Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons red food coloring
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup white sanding sugar (granulated sugar works just fine, too)
For Cream Cheese Filling
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or your silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla at medium speed until light and fluffy. One ingredient at a time, slowly beat in flour, red food coloring, cocoa powder until fully combined and dough forms.
- Pour your sanding sugar into a small bowl.
- Scoop out dough one large tablespoon at a time. Roll in your hands until a ball forms and roll in your sanding sugar until fully covered. Place on your covered cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
- Use the back of a rounded teaspoon to make small indents in the center of each cookie.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- While cookies are baking, beat together cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth.
- After your 10 minutes of baking, use your rounded teaspoon to deepen your indentation in each cookie. Spoon roughly 1 teaspoon of your cream cheese filling into each cookie indent.
- Bake for an additional 12 minutes until your filling has set. Allow to cool completely and enjoy!
- Keep chilled in an airtight container.
Notes
- 4 teaspoons sounds like a LOT of food coloring, but to achieve that RED color of these cookies, it does take that much. Since there is no taste to food coloring, feel free to use as little or as much as you’d like to achieve your perfect red color.
- Gel food coloring doesn’t work as well with consistency, so be sure to stick to good ‘ol fashioned red food coloring for this recipe!
- Be creative with this recipe! Drizzle with white chocolate or almond bark, stick in a Hershey Kiss instead of the cream cheese, or decorate with a festive sprinkle on top to make it more colorful. Have fun with your holiday baking this season!
Happy Holiday Baking!
xx Rachel
BEAUTIFUL Printable Holiday Art from Etsy
Holiday Staircase Garland
Kids Holiday Pajamas STILL IN STOCK!
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