Everything Bagel Cookies

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Two rimmed baking sheets
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Parchment paper

Instructions

1. 1

   Cream butter and cheese

   In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and unified, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. The mixture should look like pale, fluffy frosting with no visible lumps of cream cheese remaining. This foundation determines your cookie's texture.

   Truly softened butter and cream cheese are essential. They should yield easily to gentle pressure but not be greasy or melted. Leave them at room temperature for 45 minutes to 1 hour before starting.
2. 2

   Add sugars and beat

   Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar to the butter mixture. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 full minutes, stopping once to scrape the bowl. The mixture will lighten in color and increase in volume as you incorporate air. This step builds the structure that keeps your cookies tender rather than dense.

3. 3

   Add egg and vanilla

   Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. The mixture may look slightly curdled. Don't panic. This is normal and will resolve when you add the flour.

4. 4

   Mix dry ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt. Whisking aerates the flour and distributes the leavening evenly. Skip this step and you risk pockets of baking powder that leave metallic spots in your finished cookies.

5. 5

   Combine wet and dry

   Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed just until the flour disappears after each addition. Stop the moment you no longer see dry streaks. Overworking activates gluten and produces tough cookies. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky.

   A few small flour pockets are preferable to overmixed dough. You can press them in by hand.
6. 6

   Chill the dough

   Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface of the dough. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. The dough must be firm enough to roll into balls without sticking to your hands. Chilling also allows the flour to fully hydrate, producing better texture and more developed flavor.

7. 7

   Prepare for baking

   When ready to bake, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the everything bagel seasoning into a shallow bowl or plate.

8. 8

   Shape and top cookies

   Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough and roll into balls between your palms. Press the top of each ball firmly into the everything bagel seasoning, then place seasoning-side up on the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Press each cookie gently to flatten slightly. The seasoning should be embedded in the surface, not just resting on top.

   If dough becomes too soft to handle, return it to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
9. 9

   Bake until edges set

   Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the sheets front to back and switching racks halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are set and barely golden but the centers still look slightly underdone and puffy. They will firm as they cool. Pull them too late and you'll have crispy cookies instead of soft ones.

10. 10

    Finish and cool

    Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle a few flakes of flaky sea salt over each cookie while they're still hot. The salt will adhere to the warm surface. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. The texture improves after 10 minutes of resting. The flavors meld overnight.

Chef Tips

• •Use brick-style cream cheese, not the whipped kind sold in tubs. Whipped cream cheese contains more air and water, which throws off the dough's structure and produces flat, greasy cookies.
• •Make your own everything bagel seasoning if you prefer: combine 1 tablespoon each of white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried minced garlic, and dried minced onion with 1 teaspoon of flaky salt. Toast lightly in a dry skillet for deeper flavor.
• •These cookies are intentionally less sweet than most. The savory topping needs room to shine. Resist the urge to add more sugar.
• •For an even more authentic bagel experience, brush the tops with a thin layer of beaten egg white before pressing into the seasoning. The seeds adhere better and toast more evenly.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. The flavor actually improves with a longer chill.
• •Shaped dough balls can be frozen on a baking sheet, then transferred to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 2 to 3 minutes to the baking time.
• •Baked cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They soften slightly over time, which many people prefer.
• •For gift giving, bake the day before. The flavors integrate overnight and the texture becomes even more tender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 cookie (about 40g)