Description
These Danish Butter Christmas Cookies with Cream Cheese Filling are irresistibly buttery, wonderfully tender, and beautifully decorated for the holiday season! Made with a classic Danish-style butter cookie dough, these delicate homemade cookies feature a rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture, lightly golden edges, and a deliciously sweet vanilla flavor. This festive Christmas cookie collection includes elegant cream cheese sandwich cookies filled with a luscious white chocolate cream cheese frosting, beautiful cranberry jam sandwich cookies with decorative cutout centers, and charming Christmas tree and flower cookies finished with melted chocolate and colorful holiday sprinkles. Perfect for Christmas cookie boxes, holiday dessert platters, homemade edible gifts, family celebrations, or enjoying with a warm cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, these assorted butter cookies bring a wonderful combination of textures, flavors, and festive colors to any holiday gathering. With their delicate shortbread-like texture, creamy fillings, fruity jam centers, and beautiful chocolate decorations, they make a truly unforgettable homemade Christmas treat!
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Danish Butter Cookie Dough Base:
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tsp (180 g) unsalted butter, softened to approximately 65°F (18°C)
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp vanilla powder, or pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- For the Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookie Filling:
- 6.3 oz (180 g) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
- 1/4 cup (40 g) white chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
- For the Christmas Cookie Box Decorations:
- Cranberry jam, as needed for the jam sandwich filling
- Melted white chocolate, as needed for drizzling and dipping
- Melted dark chocolate, as needed for drizzling
- Christmas sprinkles, as needed for decorating
- Powdered sugar, for dusting the cutout cookies
Instructions
- Prepare the Creamy Danish Butter Cookie Base: In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 3/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons (180 g) of softened unsalted butter and 3/4 cup (90 g) of powdered sugar. The butter should be softened to approximately 65°F (18°C), making it pliable but not melted. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth, pale, light, and wonderfully creamy. This step creates the rich, tender foundation for the delicate Danish butter cookies.
- Incorporate the Egg Yolk and Vanilla: Add 1 large egg yolk and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla powder, or pure vanilla extract, to the creamed butter and powdered sugar mixture. Beat gently until the egg yolk and vanilla are fully incorporated and the mixture becomes smooth and evenly blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Gradually Add the Flour and Salt: Gradually add 3 cups (360 g) of all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the butter mixture. Mix gently on low speed, adding the flour in portions until the ingredients come together into a soft, cohesive cookie dough. Avoid overmixing, as excessive handling can develop the gluten and make the finished butter cookies firmer rather than delicately tender and shortbread-like.
- Divide, Flatten, and Chill the Cookie Dough: Divide the prepared Danish butter cookie dough into two approximately equal portions. Shape each portion into a smooth, slightly flattened disc, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place both dough discs in the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes, or until the butter has firmed sufficiently for the dough to roll and cut cleanly. Chilling is essential for maintaining sharp decorative edges and preventing excessive spreading during baking.
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set the prepared baking sheets aside while rolling and cutting the chilled butter cookie dough. Keep any dough you are not actively working with in the refrigerator to maintain its firm texture.
- Roll Out the Chilled Butter Cookie Dough: Remove one chilled dough disc from the refrigerator and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough to a uniform thickness of approximately 1/4 inch (6 mm). Work carefully to maintain an even thickness throughout, which helps the cookies bake uniformly and ensures that matching sandwich cookie pieces fit together neatly.
- Cut Christmas Trees, Stars, Flowers, and Sandwich Cookie Shapes: Use festive cookie cutters to cut the rolled dough into Christmas trees, stars, flowers, and round shapes. For the cranberry jam sandwich cookies, prepare matching pairs of round cookies, then use a smaller decorative cutter to create an opening in the center of half of the rounds. Leave the remaining round cookies whole to serve as the sandwich bases. Gather the dough scraps gently, reroll as needed, and repeat with the second chilled dough disc. Keep the cut shapes cold if the dough becomes too soft during handling.
- Arrange and Bake the Danish Butter Cookies: Carefully transfer the cut cookie shapes to the parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving approximately 1 inch of space between each cookie. Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–14 minutes, or until the edges become lightly golden and the centers appear set. Watch the cookies carefully toward the end of baking, as smaller shapes may cook more quickly than larger ones. Avoid excessive browning to preserve their delicate buttery flavor and tender texture.
- Cool the Baked Butter Cookie Bases Completely: Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the warm pans for 5 minutes. This short resting period helps the delicate butter cookies firm up before handling. Carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely to room temperature before adding cream cheese filling, cranberry jam, powdered sugar, or melted chocolate decorations. Decorating warm cookies may cause the fillings to soften or the chocolate to run.
- Prepare the Sweet Vanilla Cream Cheese Filling: In a separate mixing bowl, combine 6.3 oz (180 g) of softened full-fat cream cheese, 1/3 cup (40 g) of powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Using an electric mixer or sturdy whisk, beat until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the filling becomes smooth, creamy, and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary to create an evenly blended mixture.
- Incorporate the Melted White Chocolate into the Cream Cheese Filling: Melt 1/4 cup (40 g) of white chocolate gently and allow it to cool slightly while remaining fluid. Gradually pour the melted white chocolate into the prepared cream cheese mixture, beating continuously until completely incorporated. Continue mixing until the frosting becomes smooth, thick, creamy, and spreadable. If the filling appears too soft, place it in the refrigerator briefly until it firms enough to pipe or spread neatly between cookies.
- Assemble the White Chocolate Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies: Select matching pairs of completely cooled round Danish butter cookies. Place one cookie from each pair flat-side up on a clean work surface. Using a piping bag or small spatula, spread or pipe a generous, even layer of the white chocolate cream cheese filling onto the flat side of each base cookie. Gently place a matching plain round butter cookie on top and press very lightly until the filling reaches close to the edges. Avoid pressing too firmly, as the delicate butter cookies may crack. Refrigerate the finished cream cheese sandwich cookies until serving.
- Assemble the Cranberry Jam Sandwich Cookies: Arrange the plain round butter cookie bases on a clean work surface. Spread a small amount of thick cranberry jam over the center of each base cookie, leaving a narrow border around the edges. Separately, dust the matching cookies with decorative center cutouts with powdered sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. Carefully place each dusted cutout cookie on top of a jam-covered base and press gently to secure. The vibrant cranberry jam should remain beautifully visible through the decorative opening, creating a festive holiday sandwich cookie.
- Decorate the Christmas Tree Butter Cookies with White Chocolate: Place the completely cooled Christmas tree-shaped butter cookies on a clean sheet of parchment paper. Melt the additional white chocolate reserved for decorating until smooth and fluid. Using a small spoon or piping bag, drizzle the melted white chocolate back and forth over the tree-shaped cookies to create elegant decorative lines resembling festive garlands. Allow the chocolate to begin setting before moving the cookies.
- Decorate the Flower Cookies with Dark Chocolate and Christmas Sprinkles: Arrange the completely cooled flower-shaped butter cookies on parchment paper. Melt the additional dark chocolate until smooth and pourable, then drizzle it delicately over the tops of the flower cookies using a small spoon or piping bag. Immediately add a few Christmas sprinkles to each cookie while the chocolate remains soft and glossy. The colorful sprinkles will adhere to the chocolate and create a beautiful festive finish as the coating sets.
- Allow the Decorations to Set and Arrange the Christmas Cookie Box: Leave the decorated Danish butter cookies at room temperature until the melted chocolate becomes firm. If necessary, refrigerate the decorated cookies briefly to help the chocolate set more quickly. Once the chocolate decorations have hardened and the cookie fillings are stable, carefully arrange the different cookie varieties in a decorative Christmas cookie tin or holiday gift box. Use paper liners or parchment dividers to separate the cream cheese-filled cookies, cranberry jam sandwiches, and chocolate-decorated cookies. Keep cookies requiring refrigeration separate from those suitable for room-temperature storage.
- Serve and Store the Danish Christmas Butter Cookies Properly: Serve the assorted Danish butter Christmas cookies with freshly brewed coffee, warm tea, or a comforting mug of hot chocolate. Enjoy the delicate buttery texture of the plain and decorated cookies, the creamy white chocolate cheesecake-style sandwich filling, and the fruity sweetness of the cranberry jam centers. Store plain butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Keep all cream cheese-filled cookies refrigerated in an airtight container until serving and enjoy them within 3–4 days for the best freshness and flavor. For maximum crispness, assemble the cranberry jam sandwich cookies as close to serving time as possible.
Notes
- Use Softened Butter, Never Melted: For the most tender Danish butter cookie texture, use unsalted dairy butter softened to approximately 65°F (18°C). The butter should be pliable enough to cream smoothly with the powdered sugar but should never be fully melted. Properly softened butter helps the cookies develop their delicate shortbread-like texture while maintaining crisp, clean shapes during baking.
- Keep the Butter Cookie Dough Chilled: Refrigerate the dough discs for approximately 30 minutes before rolling and cutting. Chilling firms the butter and reduces excessive spreading in the oven, which is especially important for preserving detailed Christmas tree, star, flower, and decorative cutout shapes. Work with one dough portion at a time and keep the remaining dough refrigerated.
- Roll the Dough to an Even Thickness: Aim for approximately 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness when rolling the chilled dough. Uniform thickness helps the cookies bake evenly and produces neatly matching pieces for the cream cheese and cranberry jam sandwich cookies.
- Avoid Overmixing After Adding Flour: Mix the flour into the butter base only until a soft dough forms. Excessive mixing develops gluten and can make the cookies tougher instead of maintaining their signature delicate, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Cool Cookies Completely Before Filling or Decorating: Make sure every baked cookie has cooled fully to room temperature before adding white chocolate cream cheese filling, cranberry jam, powdered sugar, or melted chocolate drizzles. Warm cookies can soften the filling, melt the chocolate decorations, and create a damp or soggy cookie texture.
- Use Slightly Cooled Melted White Chocolate for the Filling: Allow the 40 g of melted white chocolate to cool slightly before combining it with the softened cream cheese. The chocolate should remain fluid but should not be hot enough to make the filling excessively runny. Refrigerate the finished filling briefly if needed to achieve a thick, spreadable consistency.
- Assemble Cranberry Jam Sandwich Cookies Close to Serving: For the crispiest shortbread-like texture, fill the cranberry jam sandwich cookies as close to serving time as possible. The moisture from the jam will gradually soften the delicate butter cookie layers, so storing the unfilled cookie bases separately helps maintain their crispness.
- Dust Cutout Cookies Before Assembling: Sprinkle powdered sugar over the decorative cutout cookie tops before placing them over the cranberry jam. This keeps the powdered sugar looking clean and snowy while allowing the bright red cranberry filling to show beautifully through each center opening.
- Decorate While the Chocolate Is Still Soft: Add Christmas sprinkles immediately after drizzling the flower cookies with melted dark chocolate. The soft chocolate acts as an adhesive, helping the colorful decorations stay securely attached once the coating hardens.
- Use Paper Liners for an Elegant Christmas Cookie Box: Arrange the finished cookies in a holiday tin with paper liners or parchment dividers between varieties. This helps protect delicate chocolate decorations, keeps jam-filled cookies from sticking together, and creates a beautiful assortment of festive shapes, colors, and textures.
- Store Plain and Cream Cheese-Filled Cookies Separately: Keep plain and chocolate-decorated butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Store cream cheese-filled sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3–4 days for optimal freshness. If assembling a gift box containing cream cheese-filled cookies, keep the entire box refrigerated until serving or gifting.
- Enjoy with Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate: These assorted Danish butter Christmas cookies make a beautiful holiday dessert platter or homemade edible gift. Serve them alongside a warm beverage to complement the buttery vanilla cookies, creamy white chocolate filling, fruity cranberry jam, and festive chocolate decorations.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 14 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Danish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 assorted cookie (estimated average)
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 55mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg