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Numerous classic holiday recipes from the past seem to have fallen out of conversation. While sugar cookies shaped like Santa Claus remain a favorite, there are several older but beloved recipes that deserve a revival. Take, for instance, these festive pecan cream cheese cookies with their red and green colors, which radiate Christmas cheer. The first time I made these cookies for my adult siblings, they all experienced the same emotions of delight, surprise, and nostalgia. It turns out that they had forgotten that our mom used to make these cookies every year until she deemed the recipe outdated. Even I had forgotten about them until I stumbled upon a photo of these treats, triggering a vivid memory of being 8 years old and helping her roll the dough log in colored sugar. So, from personal experience, I can attest that this is a wonderful cookie to make with kids, despite the small wayward sugar grains involved.
Each cookie boasts a delicate texture and a delightful flavor, thanks to the inclusion of an entire block of cream cheese in the dough. This not only imparts a hint of tanginess but also gives the cookies a pleasant chewiness.
Because of the substantial amount of cream cheese and butter in the dough, it’s soft before baking. Therefore, you’ll need to shape it into four logs, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate them until they firm up. I found it convenient to lay out plastic wrap on a silicone baking mat, use an ice cream scoop with a release button to deposit four scoops of dough in the middle of the plastic, and then roll the dough into a log shape by covering it with the mat. Afterward, I wrapped the dough in plastic, and I was ready to proceed.
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