Cream Cheese Cut Out Cookies – Hiland Dairy

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons Hiland Unsalted Butter, softened
• 4 ounces Hiland Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups (390 grams) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons Hiland Unsalted Butter, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1½—2 cups (180-240 grams) powdered sugar
• Gel food coloring if desired
• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy.
• Add the granulated sugar and mix until light and fluffy.
• Mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and kosher salt.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms. Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
• Use cookie cutters to shape the dough, then transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps, re-roll the dough and repeat as necessary.
• Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until the edges are just barely starting to turn light golden brown.
• Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Add food coloring to the frosting if desired. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the cooled cookies.