Making cookies for Santa couldn’t be easier than my favorite Holiday Cream Cheese Cookie Recipe. If Santa is on his way, make up one batch of dough and turn it into 4 different cookies!
The only thing I love more than a plate full of cookies is a HUGE giveaway packed with gift cards from Amazon! Well… maybe a few other things…
I am proud to share the 4th Annual Christmas Week with you! This year, I am joining this amazing group of over 35 food bloggers to bring you every Holiday recipe you can dream of to make your gatherings with family and friends memorable and delicious.
Oh, and did I say, “giveaway?” GIVEAWAY!!! 3 WINNERS! 3 PRIZES! LOTS OF CASH!
Be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post for ALL the details and recipe!
Here is a note from our fearless leader, Kim!
Welcome to Day 1 of Christmas Week. This annual event was started in 2012, and is hosted by Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic. This year we have over 35 bloggers sharing festive sweet recipes for the event. Plus we all chipped in for a huge Amazon Gift Card Giveaway so be sure to enter!
Participants for Christmas Week:
Each of these participating bloggers will be sharing some of their favorite Holiday recipes throught this week. So, head on over to check out their amazing recipes! Here are the recipes for Day 1—
Recipes from Day 1 of Christmas Week! Please visit all our talented participants:
Pistachio Brittle from Cravings of a Lunatic
coconut-lemon-raspberry-bundt-cake-christmasweek from Desserts Required
Peppermint Bark from Poet in the Pantry
Eggnog Pound Cake from The Redhead Baker
quince-cranberry-and-persimmon-crisp-christmasweek from Pineapple and Coconut
Chocolate Fruit ‘n Nut Bites from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
Fancy Chocolate Covered Marshallows from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
gluten-free-cranberry-orange-coffee-cake from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Christmas Cookies from Cooking on the Front Burner
Marzipan Fruits from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Eggnog Truffles from Crumb: A Food Blog
Peppermint Fudge from The Bitter Side of Sweet
Dark Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes from Amee’s Savory Dish
Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Glaze from Comfortably Domestic
Christmas Sweets and Treats from Food Done Light
Spiked Hot Cocoa Gift Mix from Farm Fresh Feasts
Chanukah Olive Oil Cookies from Mother Would Know
Coconut Pralines from Food Lust People Love
Blueberry Overnight Sweet Rolls from My Catholic Kitchen
Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies from Daily Appetite
Chocolate Dipped Gingersnaps from Try Anything Once Culinary
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Dark Chocolate Almond Cheesecake Cups from Savory Experiments
Bourbon Soaked Eggnog Cake from Cooking In Stilettos
Ginger Snap Cocktail from Food Babbles
Coquito Cinnamon Roll Bundt from Mind Over Batter
No-Bake Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
Easy White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge from Big Bear’s Wife
Authentic Mexican Marranitos or Gingerbread Pigs from Everyday Southwest
Gingerbread Oatmeal Creme Pies from From Gate to Plate
Molasses Ginger Cookies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Apricot Spice Biscotti from Savoring Italy
Christmas Cocktail from Dixie Chik Cooks
Coconut Bars from The Tomato Tart
Spiced Macadamia Cashew Brittle from Aloha Flavor
See’s Fudge from CopyKat Recipes
Giveaway Rules and Eligibility:
Coming at Noon Eastern Time today!
Just use this Rafflcopter for easy ways to enter our Christmas Week Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) regular cream cheese, room temperature
- 16 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (or any flavoring you wish, I used spiced rum with the citrus)
- 4 cups flour, sifted
- ½teaspoon salt
- ½ cup finely chopped macadamia nuts (or nuts of your choice)
- ½ cup finely chopped candied orange peel (optional, may use dried currents or chopped, dried cranberries)
- ½ cup seedless raspberry jam (or jam of your choice)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and the butter together until fluffy. Add the sugar beat another minute. Add the vanilla and mix well.
- Measure the flour by spooning it into a measuring cup and level off the top with the back of a butter knife. Sift the flour and add to the cream cheese mixture a little at a time while mixing on low speed.
- Divide the dough into 3 sections. Remove one third of the dough and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Add the citrus peel and macadamia nuts to the other two sections as desired. Shape those sections of dough into separate disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes.
- Roll out each disk on a lightly floured cutting board to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into shapes. Cut one disk into 1 ½ to 2 inch circles and one into 1 inch by 2 ½ inch rectangles. Shape the remaining disk into small 1 ½ inch balls and press your thumb into the middle of each ball to make “thumbprint” cookies.
- Roll the sides of some of the thumbprints in chopped nuts. Spoon a tiny bit of jam or marmalade into the center of the thumbprint.
- Bake the different shapes on separate pans so that they will cook evenly.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes depending on the size or thickness of the cookies. Start checking the dough after 12 minutes. Remove when lightly brown and cool on wire racks.
Sandy is a former elementary educator whose love for cooking has gone out of control. She has completed a degree in culinary arts and is now a food writer, photographer, cookbook author and co-creator of the popular website Everyday Southwest. 
Your photos are so lovely! It’s been a couple years since I’ve made thumbprints but I love them. Favorite cookie now is plain ol’ gingerbread men. Yum!
OMG this recipe sounds delicious!! I cannot wait to go through all of your recipe links!!
Such a delicious, versatile cookie dough! Perfect for the holidays!
What is your favourite sweet treat to make for the holidays?
mostly just pumpkin pie,but i also like a nice corrot cake..thanks
Woah. your cookies look amazing . the recipe sounds wonderful. I pinned it.
That is a tough one, because every year we try to make something new & than I change my mind AGAIN!!
I think pecan pie is one of my favorites.
I love to make soft chocolate cookies with caramel icing. From scratch with my mom’s recipe.
Cookies are my favorite treat for the holidays!
I only see three cookies in the instructions?
I like to make fudge.
my favorite cookie is butter spritz cookies like my mother used to make at the holidays. I make them now and remember my mom
We love making buckeyes for the holidays and sharing with loved ones.
This year I am adding Cherry Blossoms to our Christmas Baking.
I love making Coconut Cream pies, and Christmas cookies with my grandchildren.
My favorite to make is pecan pie. Everyone in my family enjoys eating it 🙂
I love making Russian Teacakes although they never taste as good as when grandma made it!
I love baking pecan pie.
I like making sugar cookies with sprinkles.
I love to make cherry kiss cordial cookies.
I like to make divinity for the holidays.
Thanks for the contest.
cookies!
I love making different kinds of cookies for the holidays.
Anise cookies
I love candy canes. I use them in all my holiday treats.
I like to make Peppermint Fudge Bars.
Ohh these look so YUMMY! I would have to say that Eggnog in a Recipe for Cookies , and Bread Pudding is my Favorite Recipe!
Thanks so much for the Post, and the Recipes + Giveaway!
I only see three different cookies in the instructions? Am I missing something?
These Cookies look so delicious, thanks so much for the Post, Giveaway, and the Recipes!
Ummm…. these look and sound amazing! I love cream cheese too, so this cookie recipe is a win-win!
I love making peppermint bark!
I love to make jam cookies with my daughter. They are my favorite!!
I love making Peppermint cheesecake.
My favorite holiday sweet to make is English Tea Cookies.
I love my peppermint bark and my apple pie
@tisonlyme143
I love to make sugar cookies and decorate them with sprinkles for the holidays.
Little nut roll cookies – must better than the actual big nut roll.
I found a recipe on Facebook for Christmas Crack after Thanksgiving and decided to try it. One of my son’s isn’t really big on sweets and he asked if I could make it again for Christmas. So right now, that is our favorite. 😀
Sandy,
I’m a big fan of multitasking doughs. Heck, I divvied up my Finnish pulla dough, which usually makes 3 massive loaves, a bit smaller to make 5 medium sized loaves to give to my neighbors. One mixer load, 5 gifts. Love it!
I’ve made orange chocolate chip cookies using a cream cheese dough–such a nice flavor combo–and I just love the simplicity and versatility of this dough.
Thanks!
I LIKE TO MAKE SNOWBALL COOKIES AND FUDGE FOR THE HOLIDAYS.
My favorite sweet treat to make for the holidays is a Rice Krispy Wreath! I make one every year and my family goes crazy for it. Here’s a link to a picture of last year’s: https://www.instagram.com/p/xAndM-CwrE/
I love to make sweet potato pies and peach cobbler
I love these cookies. Nothing beats a simple cream cheese cookie during the holidays. Thanks again for joining us this week.
I love making sugar cookies!
This is such an incredibly versatile cookie dough. I love how the cookies look so different one from the other, but come from the same base.
Huh? Was down to 3 hours left, then POOF! Now it’s down to 3 days left?????? I had it in my file as ending 12/27, not 12/30.