• Preheat oven to 350℉. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, silpat liner, or spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

  ^{*I highly recommend using parchment paper}
• In a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, or use the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese and butter and beat on medium speed (increase the speed as needed) until fluffy and much lighter in color; about 2 minutes.
  1 bar (8 oz) full-fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract. Beat until combined well.
  2 large eggs, 1¼ cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat on low speed just until combined and no flour streaks or pockets remain in the dough.
  2½ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
• Use a medium cookie scoop (about 1.5 - 2 tablespoons of dough), to scoop the cookies into dough balls and place 12 per cookie sheet.
• Bake for 10-13 minutes. The cookies should still be round and puffy, pale in color, and no browned parts on the top.
• Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for about 20 minutes on the warm cookie sheet. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely before glazing them.

Make The Peppermint Glaze

• Combine melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, peppermint extract, and red food coloring into a small mixing bowl. Mix until combined and it's the right consistency to drizzle over the cookies. You don't want it too thick, but rather pourable. Add more or less milk to get desired consistency.

  ^{*If using lower fat milk then you will need less milk. If using higher fat milk then you will need more milk.}
  2 tablespoons butter, 1½ cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon peppermint extract, 1-3 tablespoons milk, 1 drop red food coloring
• Either use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the cookies, or place the glaze inside a sandwich-size Ziplock bag and cut the corner off.
• Immediately sprinkle some crushed candy cane over the glaze. The glaze does harden on the cookies (just let them sit at room temperature for an hour or so) if you need to transport them or stack them for cookie plates.
  1 peppermint candy cane