Description
Poinsettia Cookies are festive, buttery treats featuring a tender cream cheese dough cut into pinwheel shapes and adorned with colorful sugar and M&M candies. These charming cookies are perfect for holiday celebrations, combining a delightful balance of rich flavor and a crisp, golden finish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 TB unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks, softened)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- 1 large egg (separated)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 TB baking powder
- 1 cup colored sugar
- About 30 M&M candies
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, unsalted butter, and egg yolk. Mix until smooth and creamy. Gradually add in the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Mix well until the dough forms a cohesive ball. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to two days.
- Remove half of the chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a 15×9 inch rectangle. Return the remaining dough to the refrigerator. Trim uneven edges to create clean lines. Cut the dough rectangle into 3-inch squares, spacing them evenly on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly whisk the reserved egg white. Brush one square of dough evenly with the egg white. Make diagonal cuts from each corner towards the center of the square, stopping about ½ inch from the middle.
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of colored sugar evenly across the surface of the dough square. Fold every other corner point towards the center, overlapping them to form a pinwheel shape. Press gently to seal the folds.
- Press one M&M candy into the center of each pinwheel. Repeat for all remaining squares.
- Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake the cookies for 9 to 12 minutes until dry, lightly golden, and set.
- Remove the baked cookies from the oven and allow them to cool. Use the reserved dough from the refrigerator to repeat the process to create approximately 30 finished cookies.
- Once cooled, layer the cookies between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. They will remain crisp and flavorful for up to four days.
Notes
- Store cookies in an airtight container.
- For best results, refrigerate the dough before rolling.
- Adjust baking time based on your oven.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 125
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg