Best Lily Cookies

Lily cookies are an old-fashioned holiday treat that look like they took hours but actually rest on a three-ingredient cream cheese pastry. Roll, cut into circles, drop jelly in the middle, fold two opposite edges up to form a lily-petal shape, and bake.

The cream cheese pastry is the secret to the tender, slightly tangy texture. Equal parts butter and cream cheese with flour produce a dough closer to a flaky French rugelach than a typical sugar cookie. The dough is famously sticky, which is normal but frustrating if you’re not warned.

Dipping the cookies in powdered sugar while they’re still hot is what makes the coating cling. The melted butter on the cookie surface holds the sugar in place, creating a snowy finish that looks intentionally decorated.

Pro Tips

• Chill the dough thoroughly before rolling, sticky dough is impossible without a long cold rest
• Flour the work surface and rolling pin generously, the dough will absorb extra flour as you work
• Use thick fruit jelly, thin preserves or runny jams will leak during baking
• Don’t overfill, a teaspoon is the right amount, more and the cookies pop open
• Roll edges in powdered sugar while warm for a heavier coating that doesn’t dust off

Variations

• Use different colored jellies (raspberry, apricot, blackcurrant) for a holiday platter
• Add a teaspoon of vanilla or lemon zest to the dough for flavor depth
• Substitute Nutella or thick salted caramel for jelly for a richer cookie center