Sugar Cookies W/Cream Cheese Frosting

I hosted a bridal shower this month and thought I would make my favorite sugar cookie recipe and this time instead of my usual glaze I thought I would fancy them up with a cream cheese frosting rose. The combination was really delicious. You can make these a day or two ahead of time and they just seem to taste better day by day. I store them in a big rectangle container with a lid that way they won't be touched. The wonderful thing about this dough is that it doesn't need to be refrigerated first.  I did use a little flour when I rolled them out and it made all the difference in the world because my dough is always a little sticky.

Cookie Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk
2 1/2 cups flour

With mixer cream butter and sugar.

Add eggs and mix well.  Add milk and vanilla and blend.

Add salt, baking powder, and flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough is soft and blended

Flour your rolling surface and rolling pin.  Roll out half of the dough 1/4 inch thick, cut into shapes with cookie cutter. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Use all the dough, it doesn't matter if you handle it a lot.

Bake for 8-9 minutes at 375 degrees. Yep that's the right time, any longer and your cookies will not be soft. I know they look under baked but trust me on this. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before putting them on a cooling rack.

Make sure cookies are really cool before you frost them.

Makes 20 2 inch round.

Frosting Ingredients:
1 8 oz. bar cream cheese
3/4 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In bowl of electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually add in powdered sugar, on cup at a time. Blend until creamy with no lumps. Color if using food coloring. I always use gel food coloring. Remember a drop at a time until you have the desired color.

If you want to make the rose design use a 1M Wilton tip and start in the middle of the cookie and swirl it clockwise.