Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

What's the ingredient that makes any recipe more moist, 

flavorful, and all-around more delicious? .....cream cheese!

This recipe has that delectable ingredient in the dough.

So, enjoy this fabulous sugar cookie recipe everyone will rave over.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie w/ Almond Butter icing

Sugar Cookies:

       8 oz. cream cheese, softened

       1 1/2 c. white sugar

       1 c. unsalted butter, softened

       1 egg

       1 tsp. vanilla

       1/2 tsp. almond extract

       1/2 tsp. salt

       1 tsp. baking powder

       3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour 

*Dough must chill for 8 hours or overnight- essential step! 

*I doubled this recipe for Valentine's Day and it made ~ 40 large cookies

Almond Butter Icing:

       4 Tbsp. butter, softened       

       1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

       1 tsp. almond extract

       1-2 Tbsp. milk

       3 drops of food coloring

*Combine ingredients until smooth (add additional milk for desired spreading consistency)

Directions

Step 1: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth

Step 2: Add egg, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract- beat until smooth  

Step 3: Add salt, baking powder, and flour (1 cup at a time)- beat until smooth 

STEP 4: Chill dough for 8 hours or overnight!

Step 5: Roll-out dough on parchment paper and cut-out desired shapes 1/2 in. apart

*Keep dough you're not working with in the fridge

 *It will be very sticky and hard to work with once softened

Step 6: Before baking, brush dough with egg white and sprinkle with colored sugar (optional)

Step 7: Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until sides are slightly golden brown

Step 8: Cool completely and top with Almond Butter Icing 

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

 Enjoy!                            

The Tolman Baker