Cookies Keeping Shape and Cream Cheese Icing

Hi, 262jenjosh, Congrats on making your first post. I look forward to many more to come!

Hi, it's hard to say what's causing your cookies to spread and not hold their shape, as there are at least three recipe-related variables that contribute to spreading: (1) type of fat in the recipe (all else being the same, recipes with all butter will spread more than those with some shortening for some portion of the fat); (2) ratio of fat to flour (the more fat to flour, the more the recipe will spread); and (3) quantity of leavening relative to other ingredients (the more leavening there, the more it will spread). You might want to try other recipes that have lower fat ratios, less butter, and/or less leavening, and see if you get a result you prefer.

Yeah, cream cheese icings are tough to bag, because the cream cheese never sets. Can't offer any advice on that one, other than don't bag them if you don't have to.

Thanks so much for the reply! I’m looking for some different recipes now! Thanks! 

2 ideas for you:

refrigerate or freeze your cookies on the cookie sheet for about 10 minutes.  Bake immediately at 350.

Use aluminum cookie sheets.  I love AIRBAKE, but not for sugar cookies.  It makes them spread!

Thanks so much Nancy! I have been baking at 325 that might help! Hopefully with the freezing!