12 Days of Christmas Cookies - Day 6 - Cream Cheese Cookies

i could not be more excited about these cookies!

cream cheese cookies have long been a wasti christmas cookie favorite. in fact, they are E's favorite cookie period. i have been nervous to try to tweak this recipe because of my track record. however, i felt like i was on an upswing with the successful italian wedding cookies and the always popular chocolate truffles. again, i am so excited that these turned out so well. E even said they were really good. i asked him if they were as good as the originals and he said he couldn't really remember the originals tasting much different. my version tasted like he remembered.

i do realize that i still have to have M and K taste these. they will be the true test because they are such die hard cream cheese cookie bakers and consumers. but, in this house, if they are good enough for E, i'm happy.

the original recipe calls for crisco. i just can't bring myself to use crisco. i have replaced butter for crisco in pie crusts so i thought it would work here too. the original also called for sugar and all purpose flour. i substituted half the sugar for agave and i used white whole wheat flour. i was excited that the agave worked so well in this cookie. remember me saying agave gave the cookies a cake-like consistency? well, these cookies have a cake-like consistency so it worked perfectly. i also realized i don't even have regular flour in the house. i was going to use half all purpose and half wheat but since i didn't have white, i used all wheat. they turned out perfectly. yay!

ok, so here is the new recipe (i will protect the wasti original recipe:)

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Cream Cheese Cookies
(makes 4 dozen cookies)

1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c agave
1 tbs vanilla extract
8 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 c white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 tsp salt
food coloring (optional)

preheat oven to 350.

cream together cream cheese and butter. slowly add sugar and agave. add vanilla and egg yolks one at a time. when blended, add flour and salt gradually.

(if you are adding food coloring, divide into 3 parts. add red to one bowl, green to another, and leave the third white. or, use any colors you like.)

drop by teaspoonfuls or small cookie scoop onto parchment lined cookie sheets. bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. cookies should be just starting to brown at the edges but will still be very soft. they will firm up as they cook. transfer to wire racks to cool completely. store in airtight containers.

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butter and cream cheese

 

finished green dough

all ready to bake!

finished product!