To say sugar cookies are a big deal in the Showalter home would be a understatement. When my husband and I first started dating I went to his family’s home for their annual decorating and quickly learned how serious it was when I tried to decorate a heart cookie as a heart rather than a Santa ? (who knew?)
Not only is the tradition so special, the recipe is truly the best! The cookies are made with cream cheese and are so soft, they just melt in your mouth! And if that wasn’t enough, the almond icing really is the cherry on top!
There’s something sacred about family recipes from my husband’s side of the family. They’re rooted in tradition and memories. I feel honored to be in the Showalter family and be able to pass down these traditions to our girls! It’s more than a cookie; it’s competing to see who makes the best santa, watching the kids eat all the icing rather than ice the cookies (CRINGE), and then passing them out to family and friends!
I received special permission to share this with you all and I am so excited about it! But before you start you’ll need a few pro tips:
- Don’t over bake these! The best part of these cookies is how soft they are. If you see any brown, they’re over baked!
- After you’ve decorated the cookies, keep them in the fridge or freezer. Since they are so soft they need to be a little cold so they don’t fall apart!
At the end of this recipe I have included a printable recipe for you to keep in your Cookbook for years to come! Thanks to Amore Made Design for perfecting this print! She even created our signature Santa heart cookie!
Showalter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 C Unsalted Butter (softened)
- 1 8oz Cream Cheese (softened)
- 1 1/2 C Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 tsp Almond extract
- 3 1/2 C Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
Icing
- 2 Cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 Tbs Butter (unsalted)
- 1/4 tsp Almond extract
- 4-5 tsp Milk or until you have a piping consistency
Instructions
- In a Large mixing bowl mix your butter and cream cheese together until well combined.
- Add sugar; beat until fluffy.
- Add egg vanilla, and almond extract and beat well.
- In a medium bowl together flour and baking powder.
- Combine your wet and dry ingredients and mix them well.
- Divide your dough in half, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for about 1.5 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out your dough to 1/8" thickness.
- Cut with desired cookie cutter, and place on cookie sheet
- Bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes or until your cookies are done (make sure not to over bake)
- Move cookies to wire racks to cool.
- Decorate with almond frosting
Icing
- In mixing bowl mix in 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of softened butter and 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract until smooth.
- Beat in enough milk (4-5 teaspoons) until you get piping consistency.
- Store decorated cookies in fridge or freezer.
Notes
You can download and print the recipe here to keep for years to come!
I hope you and your family love these cookies as much as mine does! If you make them be sure to tag me on instagram @theshowgals so I can see them!
Happy Holidays!
xo,
Katelyn
