My mission to find that delicious, albeit nameless, bakery cookie from my childhood continues with today’s cream cheese shortbread. And while this recipe yields a delicious treat, it does not, unfortunately, produce that delicious nameless bakery cookie from my childhood.
Someday, when I finally find the right recipe, I think I’m going to call it the white whale. For now, though, experiments continue. Fortunately, the experiments are quite tasty.
I found this recipe on Pinterest, from another food blog called Mama Likes to Cook. The end result is a great twist on a classic shortbread, and the addition of the cream cheese yields a lighter texture than you’d expect. Although I’ve left these plain, you could definitely dress them up with a chocolate drizzle, tint them for holidays, or turn them into sandwiches with some chocolate or vanilla filling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment or foil.
In a mixing bowl, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well-combined, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and cream until light and fluffy, for another 2-3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of your bowl well, then add vanilla extract and beat to combine.
Add flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until very well combined.
On a lightly floured surface, turn out dough and knead just slightly; you will have a very soft, flexible dough.
Roll out to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with desired cutters; I used a square cutter with fluted edges. Scraps are very easy to re-roll; just add a dash of flour to keep your dough stable.
Place on prepared cookie sheets about 1 inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
amy bakes in the 'burgh 