Soft Cut Out Cookies

I love a nice tender cut out cookie.  What so often happens with tender cookies is that the dough is really difficult to work with. I think I have found a pretty simple way to deal with it.  I use cereal or crackers bags.  No, seriously they are a wonderful tool.  They are really great for lining a ring mold when building a dessert or savory with layered components.  I know you are probably thinking that plastic wrap works just as well.  It works sure but what I like about the cereal bags is that they have some body and can stand up to rolling without losing their shape or getting bunched up.  I also find they sometimes stick to the food that I am rolling out.  The cereal bags rarely stick.  Really I think you will like them when you start using them.  Once you start you will see they are great for a lot of things.  Seperating burgers for freezing, pushing down sticky desserts that have to be level before baking...  Give it a try.

This recipe here is all over the internet and really is a super tasty and tender cookie.

Cream Cheese Cookie Cut-outs

1 cup butter
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
3 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder

Beat butter and cream cheese until well combined. Add sugar; beat until fluffy, about five minutes. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract; beat well. In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to cream cheese mixture; beat until combined. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours.

Note:  I used an empty can of mandarin oranges and kind of smushed it to get an egg shape for cutting the cookies.

I used Wilton Royal Icing recipe here for the frosting.  I am taking Part II of Wilton Cake decorating and had some left over. 
 
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
4 cups (about 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).
NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.
* For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
**When using large countertop mixer or for stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.