Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 2 cups butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla + 1 teaspoon almond extract)
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 4 ½ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 ounces cream cheese (softened)
  • ½ cup (8 tablespoons) butter (softened)
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla extract)
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 6 cups powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup milk (or as needed)
  • food coloring (optional)

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar.
  • Mix in salt, vanilla (and/or almond extract) and egg yolks until blended.
  • Add flour 1 cup at a time, mixing after each, until just combined.
  • Divide dough in half and shape each half into a ball.
  • Place on top of a sheet of parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and roll out to 1/4 inch thickness (slightly thinner for more cookies, slightly thicker for bakery-style cookies though this will yield fewer cookies).
  • Chill rolled dough for 15 minutes.
  • Cut into shapes with cookie cutters and place at least 1 inch apart on a baking sheet.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 8-9 minutes (for 1/4 inch thick cookies. for thicker cookies they'll need an extra minute or so, for thinner cookies take them out by 8 minutes.) and allow to cool on baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.