Holly Wreaths Recipe

Introduction

Holly Wreaths are charming, festive cookies perfect for holiday gatherings. These buttery, delicately sweet treats are decorated with colorful candies to resemble traditional holiday wreaths, adding whimsy and cheer to your dessert table.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Green candied cherries, thinly sliced
• Red Hots candies
• Decorating icing

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla extract, then gradually beat in the all-purpose flour until fully combined.
2. Step 2: Fit a cookie press with a star piping tip and use it to shape the dough into 2 1/2-inch wreaths on ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake until the cookies are set but not browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow them to cool completely on wire racks.
3. Step 3: Once cooled, decorate each cookie by placing green candied cherry slices around the wreath to represent leaves. Add Red Hots candies as berries. Use red decorating icing to pipe bows and to help adhere the candies securely to each wreath.

Tips & Variations

• For a festive twist, try using colored sanding sugar sprinkled on the wreaths before baking for a subtle sparkle.
• If you don’t have a cookie press, pipe the dough using a star-shaped piping tip from a pastry bag to form the wreaths.
• Substitute red cherries if green candied cherries are unavailable; just be sure to slice them thinly for a delicate look.

Storage

Store these decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. To preserve the candies, avoid stacking cookies directly on top of each other. Reheat is not recommended as it may soften the candy decorations.

How to Serve

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make the dough ahead of time?

Yes, you can prepare the dough and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours before pressing and baking. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes if too firm to press.

What can I use if I don’t have a cookie press?

A pastry bag fitted with a star-shaped tip works well for shaping the wreaths. You can also shape the dough by hand into rings, though the texture might differ slightly.

Holly Wreaths Recipe

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★★★★★

4.6 from 63 reviews

Delightfully festive Holly Wreath Cookies made from a rich blend of butter and cream cheese dough, shaped into charming wreaths and decorated with green candied cherries, spicy Red Hots, and red icing bows to create a perfect holiday treat.

• Author: Rita
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Dough

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Decorations

• Green candied cherries, thinly sliced
• Red Hots candies
• Red decorating icing

Instructions

1. Preheat and Cream: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, then stir in the vanilla extract to infuse flavor.
2. Mix Dough: Gradually add the all-purpose flour to the creamed mixture, beating well until a soft dough forms. Ensure the flour is incorporated fully for an even texture.
3. Shape Wreaths: Fit a cookie press with a star piping tip. Use the press to shape the dough into 2-1/2 inch wreath shapes on ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart to allow for slight spreading.
4. Bake: Bake the shaped dough in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, just until the cookies are set and not browned. This gentle baking ensures tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
5. Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before decorating. This prevents the decorations from melting.
6. Decorate: Using red decorating icing, pipe bows onto the wreaths and use the icing as glue to adhere thin slices of green candied cherries as holly leaves and Red Hots candies as berries to create festive accents.

Notes

• Do not brown the cookies; bake just until set to keep them tender.
• Make sure the cream cheese and butter are softened to room temperature for easier mixing.
• You can substitute Red Hots with any small red candy if unavailable.
• Use a fine star tip on the cookie press for delicate wreath shapes.
• Decorations can be customized with additional festive candies for personalization.

Keywords: holiday cookies, Christmas cookies, wreath cookies, cream cheese cookies, festive baking