Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies
Source: chelsweets.com
3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp (170g)
1/2 cup or 4 oz. full fat cream cheese, room temp (113g)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300g)
1 large egg, room temp (56g)
2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (8g)
opt: 1 tsp almond extract (4g)
3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
1 T cornstarch (8g)
1/2 tsp baking powder (2g)
1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
Optional - Buttercream Frosting for Cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (226g)
1 T vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (9ml)
1/2 tsp salt (3g)
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (440g)
2 Tbsp heavy cream (30g)
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup cream cheese on a medium speed with a hand mixer or whisk attachment until smooth.
Next, add in 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and mix on a medium-high speed for a couple minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
Add in 1 egg, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, and 1 tsp almond extract (optional). Mix on a medium speed until incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 T cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
Add the flour mixture into the butter mixture in two additions, mixing on a low speed until it is JUST incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between additions.
At this point the dough should still be pretty sticky. Divide the dough in half and wrap each portion of dough in a piece of plastic wrap. I like the flatten the dough out into a rectangle that's about 1/2 inch tall to make it easier to roll out once it's chilled.
Chill the dough in the fridge for about 2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough, and line two large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Set aside.
Generously dust the surface you plan to roll the cookies out on with additional flour. Take one piece of dough out of the fridge or freezer, leaving the other in there to continue to chill.
Sprinkle additional flour on top of the dough and on the rolling pin. Roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick and cut out shapes with a flour-dusted cookie cutter. Use a kitchen brush to brush any excess flour off the cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets. The cookies don't spread much as they bake, so you can place them about 1-inch apart.
Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 5 minutes to help them keep their shape as they bake.
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time. Bake for 9-12 minutes on the top rack of your oven (bake time will vary based on the size and shape of the cookies). Keep a close eye on the cookies and be sure to pull them out before the edges start to brown.
Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps and rewrap them in plastic wrap. Pop them back in the fridge to chill.
Pull out the 2nd chilled portion of dough and repeat steps 9-15. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.
Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies:
Beat 1 cup of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.
Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed.
Slowly add in 3 1/2 powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Halfway through add in 2 Tbsp of heavy cream or milk to make it easier to mix.
Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).
If you plan to color the buttercream, add in the gel food coloring once the frosting is fully made and beat on low until it reaches the desired colored.
Place frosting into a piping bag and decorate as desired!
Yield: about 30 cookies depending on size