Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

These are by far the best sugar cookie on the planet. They get crispy in the oven but yet stay soft and yummy after they are baked. (but then again, I like my cookies soft). They hold up really well when frosting for holidays, yet they also make great crusts for tartlets, fruit pizza, and anything else where you need a cookie crust. They are great by themselves with a cup of coffee, or decked out with frosting for holiday cookies. This is the cookie recipe I use for all my cut out cookies, with the latest time was making cookies for my daughter's Valentine's party at her school, she said they were a hit. No wonder, they are the best sugar cookie on the planet! Pictured below will be the same sugar cookie recipe used for our Christmas cookies we made and decorated. They were beautiful, only because my daughters decorated them.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine
6 oz cream cheese
4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Beat margarine or butter and cream cheese until smooth with electric mixer for about 30 seconds. Add about half the flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, and vanilla. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Cover and chill for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

Divide the chilled dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet (I line my cookie sheets with parchment paper, it works really well)

Bake in 375 oven for about 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool cookies on wire rack.

Variation:
Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies: Prepare as above, except add 2 squares semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled, with the first half of the flour.

Here pictured is our Christmas cookies made with this sugar cookie dough, aren't they pretty? I think they are, the girls did a great job decorating them.