12 Days of Christmas Cookies
These Cherry Pecan Cookies are soft and chewy and nutty. A cream cheese sugar cookie is generously flavored with almond extract and then rolled in chopped pecans for a little crunch, texture and additional nutty flavor! Top them off with a maraschino cherry half for the perfect festive Christmas cookie!
These Cherry Pecan Cookies are the first of my 12 days of Christmas Cookies!! My favorite holiday memories are centered around Christmas Cookie baking and eating. Over the next 11 days I’ll be sharing some of my old family favorites and some new ones as well! Get excited! I certainly am!
Don’t let the innocuous name fool you: these humble cookies fight with Mom’s Gingerbread Boys for my favorite Christmas cookie. Well, at least since 1992, which is the date that my mom wrote in her Christmas cookie book.
The recipe calls for half a marachino cherry to be pressed in the top. My mom used to use half red and half green cherries but my adult self is not a huge fan of oddly flavored and colored fruits so I made half plain.
Actually I don’t think my younger self was a huge fan of marachino cherries either…I used to pick them out of my drinks and give them to my younger brother who loved them.
The cream cheese helps these cookies stay incredibly soft and moist and gives another layer of flavor to the dough. The flavor actually improves after sitting, which makes these a great addition to any Christmas cookie platter or holiday cookie shipment!
Soft and bursting with almond flavor. The inside is impossibly chewy, which is contrasted by the little bit of crunch from the chopped pecans. Mmm pecans.
The small size and addicting flavor makes these perfectly poppable! After each bite you are left with a hint of cream cheese, almond and pecan and a desire to reach for another!
These Christmas cookies are soft and chewy and nutty. The cream cheese sugar cookie is generously flavored with 1 teaspoon of almond extract and is then rolled in chopped pecans for a little crunch, texture and additional nutty flavor!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups finely chopped pecans
- 36 marachino cherries, halved
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Sift flour, soda and salt into a medium bowl, whisk briefly to make sure the salt and soda are distributed; set aside.
- Cream butter and cream cheese in large mixing bowl; gradually add sugar, beating with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add egg; beat well. Stir in almond extract.
- Add flour mixture to creamed mixture in 3 additions, mixing well after each. Form into a rough ball shape, cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.
- Shape dough into balls about 1 ½ inches in diameter, roll in pecans, pressing to make sure pecans adhere. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookies sheets. Gently press cherry half in center of each cookie while slightly flattening the top. If you aren't going to use cherries, gently flatten the top of each ball with two fingers.
- Bake 7-10 minutes. You don’t want to overbake them, so make sure to watch as you get closer to 7 minutes. They are done when the edges just begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Notes:
Recipe adapted from Southern Living's Christmas Cookies, 1986 Edition.
The original recipe says to store in refrigerator up to 1 week, but my mom never did and neither have I. They are best served room temperature so that all the flavors can be enjoyed together!
Tis the Season for Christmas Cookies!
Those sound fabulous! Such cute little cookies 🙂
Thanks! They are adorable
These were awesome in my Christmas cookie package! PS I never liked the cherries either – especially the green. Festive addition though!
I’m shocked they weren’t dry as a bone after we got back from our trip! A testament to how awesome they are! The green creep me out but they are so pretty!
Bring on the Christmas cookies! I love how pretty these are with the cherry on top!! They look SO delicious!! 🙂
Renee @ Two in the Kitchen recently posted…Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies
Thanks, Renee!
Ha! So cute…I did the same thing with the maraschinos when I was young…gave them to my little sister. This is my kind of cookie…love how flaky and crunchy they look! Pinned!
[email protected]+ciaochowbambina recently posted…Stuffed Shells with Spinach-Ricotta & Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Sauce
lol! Thank goodness I wasn’t the only kid who didn’t like them! Thanks for the pin, Annie!
Mmmm…these cookies would make for the perfect holiday cookie shipment! Oh wait, they already did. Haha! Too bad they’re all gone…but now that I have this awesome recipe, I can whip up my own batch whenever I want. Like today. Christmas cookies for the win!! I’m excited to see your next 11 cookies. 🙂
David @ Spiced recently posted…Hot Cocoa Cookies
Haha! You should know 😉 If they were still moist when they got to you then you can only imagine how they were 5 days before! I want some more today too! I finished my last one several days ago 🙁
What a pretty pictures! Pecans and cherries.. sounds delicious!
Thanks, Ilona!
Yay for all the Christmas cookies! I love holiday baking and seeing all the different cookies that everyone makes. These cherry pecan ones look so chewy delicious! Love the pretty pop of color from the marachino cherry!
Thanks, Kelly! I second that cheer for Christmas Cookies!!
So cute and adorable! Lovely pictures too Lindsey! Pinned.
Manali @ CookWithManali recently posted…Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti
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Lindsey – wow – I cannot stop admiring the texture of these cookies! I found some non dairy cream cheese that tastes darn good – I’m thinking I need to try and make me a batch of these cookies with it – unless you want to meet me at Cherian’s and bring me some? 😉
Thanks, Shashi! I wish I had some left to give you! I’m curious to hear how the non dairy cream cheese works in baking.
I love the cream cheese! And the cherry! So pretty, pinned!
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust recently posted…Chocolate Mocha Snickerdoodles
Thanks, Dorothy! And thanks for the pin! <3
12 days of cookies! What a brilliant idea. And talk about kicking it off in style. I just want to reach in and grab one of those ruby red cherries!
Jessica @ Sweet Menu recently posted…Peppermint Oreo Truffles
Thanks, Jessica! I’m pretty excited about the 12 days of nothing but christmas cookies!
I’m excited about 12 days of cookies, and these sound divine! Can’t wait to see the rest! And do you mind my asking if that is a vinyl wood sheet in your photo? I’m kind of wanting one and wonder how you like it? It looks great if that’s what it is!
Thanks Marcie! That is a round cutting board/ cheese board! It makes for some challenging shots. I want a long wooden board to shoot on. I’m not sure about vinyl though. I know a lot of bloggers use them but I would be worried that it would reflect the light.
Hooray for yummy cookie inspiration! I have a cookie exchange next week and you’ve given me some terrific ideas 🙂
Liz recently posted…Bacon and Egg Strata
Yay! Thanks, Liz!
My family makes this same cookie recipe every year! It’s so hard to choose, but I’d have to say these are my favorites out of the bunch that we make. The only thing we do differently is use walnuts instead of the pecans. I’ll have to try them with pecans! I love that you’re doing 12 days of Christmas cookies and can’t wait to see what other recipes you have for us!
Kristine @ Kristine’s Kitchen recently posted…Quinoa and Sweet Potato Enchilada Casserole
Do you really?!! That’s crazy 🙂 I like walnuts too – I’ll have to try your version!
These cookies look absolutely delicious.
Chichi recently posted…Candy Cane Peppermint Ice Cream & Peppermint Meringue Cookies
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I adore almond extract! The flavor of these cookies sounds amazing!
[email protected] recently posted…Potato Rolls Recipe
Me too! Sometimes I like it even better than almonds themselves 🙂
These look so good! Everything I love all rolled up in one cookie! Just curious, is it really only 3 oz of cream cheese or should it be a whole 8 oz package? I have all the ingredients and plan to try them soon!
Hi Tessa! It is just 3 oz. Isn’t that odd?! I use Philadelphia cream cheese and they have those markings on the side and I just cut off 3 ounces! The original recipe calls for “1 (3 ounce) package of cream cheese, so I assume that it used to come in smaller packages! My great-grandmother’s pecan tassies and my chocolate version, only call for 2 ounces of cream cheese if you are looking for another recipe to use most of the remainder! Happy baking! Enjoy!
I made them slightly smaller… really get those nuts squished in or they fall off. More cherry would be good too.