Finally, I bake them in a preheated oven at 350°F until the edges just barely start to turn golden. These cookies can go from perfect to overbaked quickly, so I usually pull them out when they still look pale in the center. They continue setting as they cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before I transfer them to a cooling rack. Every time, they end up soft, picture-perfect, and irresistibly delicious.
Pro Tips for Best Results
I’ve made these cookies so many times that I’ve tested nearly every variable, and a few tricks always make them turn out even better. One of the biggest is making sure your butter and cream cheese truly reach room temperature. If they’re even slightly cold, your dough won’t cream properly, and the cookies won’t get that irresistible soft texture. I usually take them out at least an hour before I begin to avoid clumps.
Another tip I learned the hard way: don’t overmix the dough once you add the dry ingredients. The moment the flour is incorporated, stop mixing. Overmixing leads to dense cookies instead of tender ones. If I’m in a hurry, I fold the dough by hand with a spatula instead of using the mixer—it gives me more control and prevents the gluten from developing too much.
Chilling the dough isn’t required, but it helps if your kitchen is warm or if the dough feels extra soft. Even 10–15 minutes in the fridge helps firm it up, preventing the cookies from spreading too thin. I personally chill half the dough while the first tray bakes—it keeps the cookies consistent from batch to batch.
My last pro tip: bake one test cookie. I do this for ANY cookie recipe. It lets me see if the dough spreads properly, if the oven rack needs adjusting, or if the bake time needs a minute shaved off. It sounds tedious, but it has saved me from overbaking countless trays.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The first mistake I ever made with these cookies was overbaking them. Sugar cookies are meant to be soft, and if you wait until they look fully done in the oven, they’ll end up hard and dry. Pull them when the edges are just set and the centers still look pale. They finish perfectly during the cooling time.
Another common mistake is substituting margarine or low-fat cream cheese. Trust me, I’ve tried it once—and never again. The fat content is crucial for the soft, tender, buttery texture these cookies are known for. Any substitutes will lead to spreading, tough cookies, or a bland flavor.
Skipping the almond extract is another misstep many people make. I get it—you might think you won’t miss a quarter teaspoon. But that tiny amount adds a special holiday warmth that pure vanilla alone can’t achieve. Leave it out, and the cookies lose that nostalgic “Grandma’s kitchen” magic.(See the next page below to continue…)