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Basic Cream Cheese Cookies (& 15 Variations)

Source of Recipe

Redbook 1988


List of Ingredients

BASIC COOKIE RECIPE:
3/4 cup Butter or margarine -- soften
3 ounces Cream cheese -- softened
3/4 cup Granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Lemon peel -- grated
2 cups All-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt

In a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter, cream cheese, sugar and lemon peel until light and fluffy; with mixer at low speed, beat in flour and salt to blend well. Flatten dough to disk shape; refrigerate wrapped in plastic, 30 minutes. Work with 1/4 dough at a time; keep remainder refrigerated. Heat oven to 350ºF. Roll dough out to 1/8 or 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes; or, mold into shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart; bake 10 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness of dough, until light browned. Cool completely on wire racks. Store in airtight container. Makes 2 to 6 dozen cookies, depending on size.


Recipe

Follow basic recipe above, with the variations below:

1. WALNUT-JAM CRESCENTS: After chilling, roll one fourth dough at a time into 8-inch circle; cut each into 8 wedges. Stir 1 tsp. grated lemon peel into 1/4 cup apricot jam; spread over wedges. Chop 1/4 cup walnuts; sprinkle over wedges. Roll up from long side; curve ends in crescent shape. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. When cool, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Makes 32.

2. GINGER-CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD: Heat oven to 325ºF. Omit grated lemon peel. Beat 3 tbsp. ground ginger and 1 tbsp. molasses into dough; stir in 2 tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger. Pat unchilled dough into two lightly greased 8-inch round cake pans; score each deeply into 12 wedges. Bake 40 minutes. Remove in one piece from pans to cool. Drizzle with melted semisweet chocolate (four 1-ounce squares); decorate with additional chopped crystalized ginger, if desired. Cut into wedges along score marks. Makes 2 dozen.

3. CHOCOLATE-PECAN MOON PIES: Omit grated lemon peel, after chilling, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 2 1/2 inch scalloped rounds. Place 1/8 tsp. each mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans on each side of each round. Brush edges of rounds with water; fold over; press to seal. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Glaze with Quick Confectioner's Icing (recipe at the ends of the variations of recipes); drizzle with melted semi sweet chocolate (two 1 ounce squares). Makes about 5 dozen.

4. RICH ALMOND SNOWDROPS: Beat 1/2 tsp. almond extract into dough; stir in 1 cup finely chopped almonds. After chilling, shape into 1-inch balls. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. While still warm, roll in confectioners' sugar; sprinkle with additional chopped almonds. Makes about 4 dozen.

5. NUTTY BANANA SPICIES: Beat 2 small ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup) and 1 teaspoon ground allspice into dough. Drop unchilled dough by tablespoonfuls; sprinkle with chopped candied orange peel and slivered pecans. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

6. SUGAR 'n" SPICE HAZELNUT SPIRALS: Omit grated lemon peel. After chilling, roll one-fourth dough at a time into 8x5-inch rectangle. Combine 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnut, 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; sprinkle one-fourth mixture over each rectangle. Roll up jelly-roll fashion from one long side; freeze, wrapped in plastic, 15 minutes. Cut into 1/4-inch slices; bake 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen.

7. SWEET PRETZEL TWIST: After chilling, roll dough by heaping teaspoonfuls into 6-inch-long ropes; shape into pretzels. Brush with lightly beaten egg; sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen.

8. FANCY FIGGIES: After chilling, roll one-fourth dough at a time into 7x3-inch strip. Combine 1 cup chopped dried figs and 1 tbsp. grated lemon peel; spoon 1/f cup of mixture down center of each strip. Fold sides of strip over to almost meet in center; press with tines of fork to decorate. Freeze 10 minutes. Sprinkle with granulated sugar; cut into 1 1/2-inch slices. Bake 12 to 14 minutes. Makes about 20.

9. CRISPY COCONUT SNOWBALLS: Stir 2 cups sweetened flaked coconut into dough. After chilling, shape into 1-inch balls; score with knife in crisscross pattern. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 4 1/2 dozen.

10. CHERRY-VANILLA SWEETHEARTS: Substitute 1 tsp. vanilla extract for grated lemon peel; stir two 3-ounce containers red candied cherries, chopped, into dough. After chilling, roll out to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 2-inch scalloped rounds. Cut out centers of half of rounds with tiny heart shaped cutter. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. When cool, spread uncut rounds with cherry preserves (about 1/2 cup); sandwich with cut-out rounds. Makes about 2 dozen.

11. OLD-TIME LEMON CRISPS: Beat additional 1 tbsp. grated lemon peel and 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice into dough. After chilling, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness; cut into 2-inch rounds. Press end of chopstick or wooden skewer into cookies in decorated pattern; or, use coarse end of meat mallet. Sprinkle with yellow sugar crystals. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

12. COFFEE-GLAZED RUM-RAISIN BARS: Substitute 1 tsp rum extract for grated lemon peel; stir 1 cup golden raisins, finely chopped, into dough. After chilling, roll out to 1/4-inch thickness; cut into 3x 3/4-inch diagonal strips. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Cool. Stir 2 tsp. espresso coffee powder and few drops water to dissolve; stir into 1/4 cup Quick Confections' Icing, (recipe at the end of the variation series); to blend. Using remaining plain icing to glaze tops of bars. Pipe two parallel lines of coffee icing onto glazed bars; quickly pull tip of wooden pick up and down thorough lines in feather pattern. Makes about 3 dozen.

13. STRAWBERRY TARTLETS: After chilling, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness; cut into 2-inch scalloped rounds. Fit rounds into greased miniature muffin-pan cups; filled each with 1/2 tsp. strawberry jam (about 1/4 cup). Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Decorate with toasted sliced almonds. Makes about 6 dozen.

14. CRANBERRY-ORANGE DELIGHTS: Substitute 1 tbsp. grated orange peel for lemon peel. After chilling, roll dough out to 1/8-inch thickness; cut into 2-inch rounds. Place 1/2 tsp. prepared cranberry relish in center of each rounds (about 3/4 cup); fold three sides of dough up; pinch to seal. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 6 dozen.

15. WALNUT-SPICE MELTAWAYS: Omit grated lemon peel; beat 2 tbsp. ground cardamom and 2 tsp. ground cinnamon into dough. After chilling, shape into 1-inch balls, then into ovals; press 1 walnut piece into each oval (about 1/2 cup). Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

QUICK CONFECTIONERS' ICING: In small bowl stir 2 to 3 tbsp. water into 2 cups confectioners' sugar until blended and smooth; add less water or up to 2 tsp. more, depending on desired consistency. Makes about 1 cup.