Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤

I made these delicious cookies for my daughter and some of her friends for their Valentine’s (Galentine’s!) Day celebration. Tanya Ott, the amazing baker of globalbakes.com, promised that they would hold their shape and she was right. I was so pleased! 🙂 Because the dough does not contain a rising agent, the cut out shapes stay completely intact while baking.

The cookie recipe was adapted from globalbakes.com. I made half the recipe, used fine sea salt, increased the chilling time, and baked the cookies in a convection oven. Tanya’s blog has many informative videos with amazing royal icing techniques and ideas. I highly recommend checking it out. 🙂

The royal icing recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook.

Yield: about 48 3-inch cookies

For the Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Dough:

• 227 grams (1 cup; 2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 114 grams (4 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 337 grams (2 1/4 cups plus 2 T) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese until well blended and smooth.
2. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and egg yolks, and mix until just combined.
3. Add the flour and salt, and mix to form a soft dough.
4. Shape the dough into a ball, press into a 1/2-inch disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm.
5. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into desired shapes with cookie cutters, and place them on a plastic wrap-lined cookie sheet. Place another layer of plastic wrap between each layer of cookies. (I stack similar shapes on top of one another.)
6. Chill for at least 15 minutes. (I chilled the cut shapes overnight.)
7. Preheat the oven to 350F, preferably on convection. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking sheets.
8. Place the chilled cookies one inch apart on prepared baking sheets. (Bake cookies of similar size at the same time.)
9. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until light golden brown around the edges. Bake time will vary with the size and thickness of the cookies. Allow to cool completely before frosting or decorating.

For the Royal Icing:

• 1/2 pound (8 oz) Confectioners’ sugar
• 2 1/2 T meringue powder
• liquid or gel-paste food coloring
• sanding sugar or sprinkles, as desired

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar, meringue powder, and a scant 1/4 cup (4 T) water on low speed.  Beat until mixture is fluffy yet dense, 7 to 8 minutes.
2. To thin the icing for flooding (filling in areas with additional icing), stir in additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time.  Test the consistency by lifting a spoonful of icing and letting it drip back into the bowl; a ribbon should remain on the surface for 5 to 7 seconds.
3. To tint icing, dip a toothpick or wooden skewer into food coloring, and gradually mix it in until the desired shade is reached. (I used 3 shades of pink once the icing was “flood” consistency.)
4. Using a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip, pipe a border around each cookie. Then, thin the icing to a flood consistency and fill in the border. (I used a larger tip to fill in the cookies.)
5. Decorate with sanding sugar or sprinkles before the icing has set, if desired.

BraveTart’s Lofthouse-Style Cookies

My daughter and her friends are in love with grocery store Lofthouse cookies. We recently made this upgraded homemade version as our celebratory New Year’s Eve dessert. She and a friend had the honor of icing and decorating them with sprinkles. 🙂

The recipe is from the award winning baking book, BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella Parks, which I received as a holiday gift. Yay! (much more to come from this book, of course) We have tried other homemade versions but agree that this is the best one yet.

The original recipe notes that these “cookies” are really pillowy, soft and tender cupcake tops coated with creamy frosting. In my opinion, calling them cookies adds to their appeal. I made half of the recipe (noted below)- perfect.

Yield: about 12 to 14 3-inch cookies (this recipe can be doubled easily)

For the Frosting:

• 5 oz (1 3/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
• pinch of Morton’s coarse salt
• 2 1/2 T (1 1/4 oz) heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the Cookies:

• 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces; firm but pliable (about 60 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup (3.5 oz) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• scant 1/2 tsp Morton’s coarse salt
• 1 large egg white (about 2 T or 1 oz)
• 1 T (1/2 oz) heavy cream
• 1/2 T pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups (5.5 oz) bleached cake flour
• rainbow sprinkles, for decoration

To Make the Frosting:

1. Combine the confectioners’ sugar, salt, cream, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
2. Mix on low to moisten, increase to medium, then beat until airy and smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Transfer to a zip-top bag, scraping the bowl as cleanly as you can. (I used a sandwich size bag.) Set aside.
4. Wipe any excess frosting from the bowl and beater with a paper towel.

To Make the Cookies:

1. Adjust the oven racks to the center of the oven. (I used the 3rd and 5th position.) Preheat to 350 degrees F, preferably on convection.
2. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Combine butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the prepared bowl.
4. Mix on low with the paddle attachment, then increase to medium and beat until creamy, about 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, whisk egg white, cream, and vanilla together in a glass measuring cup.
6. Add the egg white mixture to the butter in four or five additions and beat until smooth.
7. Scrape bowl and beater with a flexible spatula, then resume on low.
8. Sprinkle in the cake flour, mixing to form a soft dough.
9. Fold once or twice from the bottom up to ensure it’s well mixed.
10. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip.
11. Pipe 6 to 7 1-ounce to 1 1/4-ounce portions onto each baking sheet, leaving 2 1/2 inches between them. (I piped a test portion onto a kitchen scale to eyeball the amount. The swirl was about 2 1/2-inches in diameter.)
12. Bake until puffed and pale gold around the edges, about 12 minutes on convection or up to 15 minutes in a standard oven, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time.
13. Cool until no trace of warmth remains, at least 20 minutes.

To Decorate:

1. When the cookies are completely cool, snip off a corner of the frosting bag.
2. Working with 2 or 3 cookies at a time, squeeze a scant tablespoon of frosting over each cookie.
3. Spread icing into an even layer with an offset spatula or knife. Top with sprinkles, as desired.
4. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Note: Cookies are best eaten right away but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

It seems like a good time to share more cookie recipes. 😉

Before the holidays, I started receiving weekly cookie emails (I subscribed ) from The New York Times- a pretty dangerous and crazy idea! This “pantry cookie” recipe caught my eye right away. A crowd-pleaser for sure.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Jerrelle Guy. The recipe starts by creaming the sugar with eggs rather than butter. The end result is a cookie with a crusty exterior and chewy interior. Cracks also form on the surface which are highlighted by the essential glaze. Great.

Yield: 15 to 16 cookies

• 1 cup/95 grams old-fashioned rolled oats 
• 1 cup/128 grams all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar 
• 1/4 packed cup/55 grams light brown sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 4 T/57 grams unsalted butter, melted 
• 3/4 cup/92 grams confectioners’ sugar 
• 5 teaspoons whole or oat milk, plus more as needed 

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees, preferably on convection, and line two large rimmed cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the oats, flour and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat both sugars with the egg, cinnamon, vanilla and baking soda on high speed, scraping the bowl as needed, until glossy, pale and thick, a full 2 minutes.
4. Reduce the speed to medium. Very slowly drizzle in the melted butter and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
5. Add the oat mixture and gently fold by hand using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula just until incorporated, being careful not to over mix.
6. Using a small cookie scoop or two spoons, drop 15 golf ball-size mounds of dough onto the sheet pan, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. (I used a 1 1/2 T cookie scoop.)
7. Bake until the edges and surface are set and lightly golden brown, but the center is still gooey, 10 to 11 minutes on convection or up to 12 to 14 minutes in a standard oven.
8. Remove from the oven and immediately rap the cookie sheet on the counter or stovetop a couple of times to help the cookies flatten a little more, and cool on the sheet for 5 minutes.
9. In a small bowl, mix the confectioners’ sugar and milk using a small whisk or fork until the icing is completely smooth and very thick but still moves if you tilt the bowl. Add more milk in small increments as needed. (I add the milk 1 teaspoon at a time to make sure the consistency is not too thin.)
10. Dip only the very tops of the cookies into the bowl of icing, leaving the deeper cracks in the cookies uncoated and allowing any excess icing to drip back into the bowl.
11. Flip the cookies over and return them to the cookie sheet to allow the icing to harden, 10 to 15 minutes. The iced cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

One additional note about special cookies….

My oldest just had his 17th birthday! He is DRIVING. We celebrated with several family favorites- enjoying Creamy Chicken and Greens with Roasted Poblano Tacos (first celebration), Thai One Pot (second!), a Maple Layer Cake, and, most importantly, with our traditional Number Cookies– two versions, Roman numerals are his preference. 🙂

Magnolia Bakery’s Vanilla Confetti Cupcakes

My daughter and I made these cheerful cupcakes together. She is obsessed with sprinkles! 🙂 She wanted to give them to her friends as a little surprise. We put one in each of their mailboxes with a note. ❤

The cupcake recipe is from The Magnolia Bakery Handbook- A Complete Guide for the Home Baker: Baking Made Easy with 150 Foolproof Recipes & Techniques by Bobbie Lloyd. The recipe is adapted from their recipe for “Everyone’s Favorite Vanilla Cake.”

The vanilla frosting recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes, via Martha Stewart.com. We used fine sea salt and weighed the ingredients when possible for both the cake and frosting. They were moist and tasty- Fun too!

For the Vanilla Confetti Cupcakes:

Yield: 24 cupcakes

• 3 cups (345g/12.2oz) cake flour
• 1 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup (240g/8.5oz) whole milk (I used 1%)
• 1/2 cup (115g/4oz) sour cream
• 1 cup (2 sticks/226g/8oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup (300g/10.6oz) granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 cup (130g/4.6oz) confetti sprinkles, plus more for decoration, if desired (We used rainbow sprinkles)

For the Fluffy Vanilla Frosting:

Yield: frosting for 24 cupcakes (about 4 cups)

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature  
• 1 pound (16oz/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• gel food coloring, for tinting, optional
• confetti or rainbow sprinkles, for decoration, optional

To Make the Vanilla Confetti Cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. (I set my oven to convection.) Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and sour cream until no lumps remain. Set aside.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the paddle and the sides and bottom of the bowl.
5. With the mixer on medium speed, slowly add the egg whites, a little at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more. Once the egg whites have been incorporated, stop the mixer and scrape down the paddle and the sides and bottom of the bowl.
6. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix for about 15 seconds, just until incorporated.
7. Scrape down the paddle and the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the sprinkles and mix for 20 to 30 seconds, until smooth and combined.
8. Using a scoop or a 1/4-cup dry measuring cup, evenly ration the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
9. Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, or until the tops spring back when touched and a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean.
10. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack.

To Make the Fluffy Vanilla Frosting & To Decorate the Cupcakes:

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
2. Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed; after every two additions, raise speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium-high. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy.
3. Add salt and vanilla; beat until frosting is smooth. The frosting can be tinted with food coloring, if desired.
4. To decorate, fill a piping bag with desired tip and pipe onto cupcakes. Top with additional sprinkles, if desired.

Note: If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again, about 5 minutes.

Bien Cuit Shortbread

I have wanted to make these cookies for quite a while but they require advance planning!

According to Food 52, this is the “World’s Best Shortbread” and is no longer available for purchase from the original source, Bien Cuit in Brooklyn. Fortunately, they were able to get the recipe and share it. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Food 52.com, contributed by Amanda Hesser. I modified the method as well as the baking time for a convection oven. They were incredibly flaky and minimally sweet.

Yield: 32 cookies

• 302 grams unsalted butter (about 22.5 tablespoons)
• 93 grams confectioners’ sugar
• 3.5 grams kosher salt (scant teaspoon)
• 302 grams all-purpose flour
• about 2 T granulated or raw sugar, for sprinkling

1. Cut the cold butter into cubes and reserve at room temperature to temper slightly.
2. Line a 13×9-inch rimmed baking sheet or baking dish with parchment paper.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the confectioners’ sugar, salt, and flour for a few seconds to combine.
4. Add the cubed butter and mix on low speed until a smooth dough is formed and butter is fully incorporated. At first, the dough will look extremely flaky and dry; let it keep mixing and it will eventually come together into a dough.
5. Distribute the dough in the baking sheet and spread it evenly to the corners. I covered the dough with plastic wrap, removed it from the pan using the parchment paper, and rolled it 3/8-inch thick with a rolling pin. After placing it back in the pan, I trimmed the edges and used the excess dough to redistribute it to the empty areas. I re-rolled the dough 3/8-inch thick.
6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
7. The next day, heat the oven to 300°F, preferably on convection.
8. Dock the dough every inch or so with a fork.
9. Bake until the shortbread is golden brown, 55-75 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time. (I baked mine for 55 minutes on convection but may consider allowing them to brown further next time!)
10. Remove the pan from the oven, sprinkle with sugar and let cool for 5 minutes.
11. Transfer the shortbread onto a cutting board, trim the edges, if desired. Slice into 3-inch x 1-inch slices.
12. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container.

Caramel Apple Dapple Cake

I love a quick cake. I have made this one on a couple of occasions! It is a wonderful seasonal treat. Apparently, it is named a “dapple” cake because the apple chunks create a rippled effect on the surface of the cake where the glaze can settle. The coffee in the batter balances the sweetness and gives it a beautiful brown color.

This recipe is from Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland by Shauna Sever. I weighed the ingredients and used heavy cream in the glaze. We ate it for dessert but it could also be served as a coffee cake. Super moist and yummy.

Yield: One 9×13 cake, about 12 to 15 servings

For the Cake:

• nonstick cooking for pan
• 320 g (2 1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose, spooned and leveled
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 170 g (3/4 cup) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (4 T, 57 g) canola or vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, cold
• 3/4 cup (170 g) lukewarm brewed coffee
• 4 cups peeled, cored, and chopped Honeycrisp apples (cut into 1/2-inch/1.25 cm pieces)(I used 2 very large apples)

For the Glaze:

• 170 g (3/4 cup) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 4 T (57 g) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup (57 g) whole milk or heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

To Make the Cake:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees (180 C), preferably on convection.
2. Spray a 9×13-inch light-colored metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with parchment paper. (I use binder clips to hold the parchment overhang in place to prevent it from falling onto the surface of the cake.)
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy.
5. Add the granulated and brown sugars and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
6. Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly stream in the oil until well blended.
7. One at a time, beat in the eggs.
8. On low-speed, spoon in half of the flour mixture.
9. Slowly pour in the coffee.
10. Stir in the remaining flour until the batter is smooth.
11. Fold in the apples by hand.
12. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth evenly.
13. Bake until the cake is deeply golden all over, begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (I baked mine for 40 minutes but may check it even earlier next time.)
14. Let cool slightly in the pan set on a wire rack.

To Make the Glaze:

1. In a 1 to 1 1/2-quart (1 to 1.4 L) saucepan over high heat, combine the brown sugar, butter, milk, and salt.
2. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring often, and boil until you can see it has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes depending on your pan.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. (I forgot to do this every time- by accident, of course )
4. Let the glaze cool just until it stops bubbling.
5. Pour the hot glaze over the still-warm cake. Working quickly, use a spatula to spread the glaze so thinly and evenly that it covers the entire the surface of the cake.
6. Let the cake cool completely, uncovered, on the rack.

Note: Leftover cake can be stored loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Donut Loaf

I felt very “out of the loop” recently when I saw numerous posts about this viral donut loaf one morning. I had to make it right away! 😉 It delivered as promised- it tasted like a giant cake donut. Ridiculously good. The freshly ground nutmeg made it exceptional.

This recipe was adapted from Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland by Shauna Sever, via thekitchn.com. It was reminiscent of a pound cake but had a lighter texture. Fabulous! Next time I plan to try baking it in my Pullman loaf pan.

Yield: 1 (9-inch) loaf, Serves 8 to 10

For the Loaf:

• nonstick cooking spray for pan
• 2 3/4 cups (352g) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 14 T (197g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup plus 2 T (175g) granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (225g) well-shaken buttermilk, at room temperature

To Finish:

• 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, divided, sifted, plus more as needed
• 2 T (28g) unsalted butter, melted

1. Position a rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat it to 325°F, preferably on convection.
2. Spray a 9×5-inch light-colored metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and line it with 2 perpendicular strips of parchment paper — 1 cut skinnier to fit lengthwise across the bottom and up the 2 short sides, 1 to fit crosswise and up the 2 longer sides. Cut the strips long enough to have a few inches of overhang on all sides.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until creamy.
5. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
6. Beat in 1/4 cup of the flour mixture.
7. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
8. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and stir in the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk in 5 alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Finish folding the batter by hand to make sure everything is incorporated — the batter will be very thick.
10. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
11. Bake until the loaf is golden with a couple of cracks on top, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes.
12. Let cool in the pan set over a wire rack for 15 minutes.
13. Use the parchment paper to lift the loaf from the pan. Let rest for another 20 to 30 minutes.
14. When the loaf is cool and firm enough to handle, but still slightly warm, sift 2/3 cup of the confectioners’ sugar all over a large rimmed baking sheet (keep the sieve handy).
15. Peel the parchment from the cake. Gently turn the loaf over in 1 hand, using part of your forearm to support it.
16. Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom of the cake with some of the melted butter. Carefully set the loaf, right-side up, in the powdered sugar.
17. From there, brush the long sides with the butter, turning the cake from side to side to coat in sugar, then brush and coat the short sides.
18. Lastly, brush the top with the butter, and sift the remaining 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar over the top of the loaf.
19. Roll the entire loaf in sugar once more so that it resembles a giant powdered sugar donut. (I skipped this step and my loaf had plenty of sugar.)
20. Carefully transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving, touching up the loaf with a quick sifting of sugar as needed.