Cherry Cream Cheese Bites

13th Christmas Cookie in my series.

These are extremely tender and moist. Not overly sweet, but be careful, they are addictive!

1/2 cup butter

3oz. softened cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup flour

Halved maraschino or candied cherries

(this year I used half and half. Red are maraschino, green are candied)

Makes 2 - 2.5 dozen

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Directions: 

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Beat in egg yolk, vanilla and salt. Add in flour.

Chill until firm.

Heat oven to 350*F.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Top each with a cherry half. Pushing slightly to seat well. They will slide off center, if you don't.

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Don't flatten the ball of dough, but do seat that cherry purposefully. Otherwise they'll slide off during baking and they'll all look like Marty Feldman eyes. Now, all the young readers will need to go Google him. LOL!

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Chip Maple Bites

11th cookie in my series of Christmas Cookies

1 1/2 cup butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon maple extract

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup chopped pecans

3 1/2 cups flour

2 cups white chocolate chips

Pecan Halves for topping

Royal Icing

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Directions: 

Don't make these cookies on a rainy day. They won't rise correctly.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each. Beat in extracts and baking soda.

Add in flour, slowly. After flour is well incorporated, add the white chips and pecans.

Chill dough.

Heat oven to 350*F.

Drop by rounded Tablespoons on your parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

When completely cool, frost with royal icing and top them off with a pecan half.

Before frosting...

With frosting and a pecan half.