Christmas Cookies with Heavy Cream
These delicate Christmas cookies are prepared with softened butter, rich heavy cream, and egg yolk to create a tender, smooth dough. After chilling, the dough is rolled thin, cut into festive shapes, baked until lightly golden, and generously coated with confectioners’ sugar while still warm.
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Ingredients
- 3 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream for added moisture and improved texture
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar for coating
- 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter softened to room temperature and cut into pieces
Instructions
- Place the all-purpose flour, softened butter pieces, heavy cream, and egg yolk in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a fork, begin incorporating the egg yolk and cream into the flour mixture.
- Continue combining the ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture develops a crumbly consistency.
- Turn the mixture onto a clean work surface and knead it briefly, just until it comes together as a soft, smooth dough. If it feels excessively sticky, lightly dust the dough with a small amount of flour as you knead.
- Stop kneading as soon as the dough becomes cohesive. Form it into a cylinder, then cover it securely with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate the wrapped dough for 1 1/2 hours. Chilling allows the butter within the dough to become firm again, helping prevent sticking when the dough is later rolled and reducing the need for additional flour.
- Once the chilled dough is semi-firm, place it on a work surface and roll it to approximately 1/8 inch (0.3 mm) thick.
- Cut the dough into assorted shapes with cookie cutters. Smaller cutters are preferable when possible, as they can promote more consistent results.
- Arrange the shaped cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. A thin pastry scraper may be used to lift and transfer the delicate cutouts while preserving their shape.
- Preheat the oven to 360°F (182°C).
- Bake the cookies for approximately 10–12 minutes, watching them closely and removing them once they develop a light golden color.
- Avoid baking them for too long, since excessive baking can produce cookies with an overly firm texture.
- Transfer the freshly baked cookies to a wire cooling rack and allow them to rest for approximately 5 minutes.
- While they remain warm, generously coat each cookie with the confectioners’ sugar, creating a sweet coating and a classic snowy holiday finish.