Description
Cream Cheese Candy is a delightful no-bake treat made with a creamy blend of cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and strawberry extract. Colored with vibrant red and pink gel food coloring and decorated with Valentine’s sprinkles, these bite-sized candies offer a perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. The dough is rolled thin, textured with fork lines, and cut into tiny heart shapes before being left to air dry, resulting in charming, melt-in-your-mouth candies ideal for special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Candy Dough
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 8 cups powdered sugar (plus more for rolling)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons strawberry extract
Coloring and Decoration
- Red gel food coloring
- Pink gel food coloring
- 1 tablespoon Valentine’s sprinkles
Instructions
- Cream the Fats: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened cream cheese and butter until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add Flavor and Sugar: Incorporate the strawberry extract and 2 cups of powdered sugar into the mixture.
- Mix Thoroughly: Beat on low speed until all ingredients are fully combined.
- Add Remaining Sugar: Gradually add the remaining powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating continuously until the dough reaches an almost playdoh-like consistency that is no longer sticky.
- Divide and Color: Separate the dough evenly into three bowls. Add red gel food coloring to one, pink gel food coloring to another, and fold in the Valentine’s sprinkles into the third bowl.
- Roll Out Dough: Using a rolling pin, roll each colored dough ball to a thickness between 1/4 to 1/2 inch on a clean surface.
- Texture the Surface: Drag the tines of a fork down the surface of each rolled dough sheet to create linear indentations for added texture.
- Cut Shapes: Using a tiny heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out candies from the dough and place them on parchment paper-lined trays.
- Air Dry: Leave the cut candies to air dry at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours or overnight until they firm up.
Notes
- The candy dough should have a playdoh-like consistency, not sticky, to ensure easy rolling and cutting.
- Air drying is essential to set the candies properly. Do not skip the drying time.
- You can substitute strawberry extract with any other flavoring if desired.
- If the dough is too sticky, add a little more powdered sugar until the right consistency is reached.
- Store the candies in an airtight container once fully dried to maintain freshness.
- These candies are no-bake and do not require refrigeration but should be kept in a cool, dry place.
