Hanukkah Cookies

Name: Hanukkah Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.
Cuisine: Jewish
Ingredients: 2 cups butter, softened; 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened; 2-1/2 cups sugar; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1/2 teaspoon almond extract; 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour; ICING:; 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar; 1/3 cup water; 4 teaspoons meringue powder; Blue and yellow paste food coloring

1 review

Test Kitchen Approved

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Makes

about 3-1/2 dozen

Updated: Jan. 21, 2023

Cream cheese adds richness to these Hanukkah cookies. Decorate them with royal icing or your favorite buttercream frosting and toppings. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Hanukkah Cookies Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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Ingredients

2 cups butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
ICING:
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup water
4 teaspoons meringue powder
Blue and yellow paste food coloring

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and extract. Gradually beat flour into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; cover and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with floured 3-in. cookie cutters. Place cutouts 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until set (do not brown), 10-12 minutes. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
For icing, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, water and meringue powder; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high 4 minutes or until soft peaks form. Divide icing into thirds. Tint 1 portion blue and 1 portion yellow; leave remaining portion white.
Pipe icing onto cookies as desired. (Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture.) Let cookies stand at room temperature several hours or until frosting is dry and firm. Store in an airtight container.

Hanukkah Cookies Tips

What other recipes should I make for Hanukkah?

For a traditional Hanukkah feast, we recommend making brisket, latkes and noodle kugel. Check out our other Hanukkah recipes for more inspiration. Oh, and don't forget dessert!

How can I make this recipe my own?

There are plenty of ways to make this recipe your own. Try using a different type of cutout cookie, like gingerbread or chocolate. Or break out your cookie decorating tools and switch things up by adding sprinkles, chocolate chips or other fun toppings.

How can I make these Hanukkah cookies parve?

To make these Hanukkah cookies parve (which in this case means skipping the dairy), swap the butter and cream cheese for dairy-free alternatives. Here are some of our favorite dairy-free food swaps.

Research contributed by Christina Herbst, Taste of Home Assistant Digital Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 236 calories, 11g fat (7g saturated fat), 33mg cholesterol, 91mg sodium, 33g carbohydrate (23g sugars, 0 fiber), 2g protein.