Candy Cane Kiss Cheesecake Cookies

It's time for Christmas cookies! Every year I like to make a few new cookies as well as making tried and true, or my favorites from past years. I've made several versions of these "kiss" cookies, and all of them are so good: triple peppermint cookies, cherry kisses, chocolate peppermint swirl cookies, chocolate kissed gingerbread, and macaroon kisses.

These have a delightful bit of cream cheese in the batter which makes them so soft and so flavorful! Like the other kiss cookies, they're a snap to make, but the dough does need time to chill, so factor that into your planning. If you want to get fancy, you can drizzle these with white chocolate or decorating sugar, but I actually thought they were fine just as is!

Happy Baking!

Find more great ideas at Inspiration Monday, Busy Monday, Inspire Me, Hearth and Soul.

Candy Cane Kiss Cheesecake Cookies

1/2 cup butter, soft
6 oz cream cheese, soft
1 cup sugar (plus extra for rolling cookies in)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
24 candy cane kisses, unwrapped
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted or decorating sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Mix in sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and peppermint extract and beat until creamy.

In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Slowly mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until combined well.

Chill dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Scoop into one-inch round balls and roll in sugar. Place on cookie sheets lined with parchment. Bake for about 10 minutes.

Let cool for a couple of minutes then press a candy cane kiss into the center of each cookie. Let cool for a couple more minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Drizzle tops of cookies with melted white chocolate or sprinkle with decorating sugar.