Valentines Cookies

Vanilla Rounds

Better Homes and Gardens

The Ultimate Cookie Book

What's great about these cookies is you can use whatever shape cookie cutter you want - we've done animals, hearts, easter eggs, christmas shapes, and numbers. Great for themes and holidays - So much fun!

Ingredients:
1/2 C Butter, softened
3 oz cream cheese, softened (sold pre-measured for like a $1 at Meijer)
1 C sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 C all-purpose flour
Sprinkles, Decorating Sugar (0ptional)
1 recipe desired flavor of Buttercream Frosting (Below)

In a large mixing bowl beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 C sugar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and Chill dough about 2 hours or until easy to handle. (You can just leave the dough in two different bowls and cover with a towl - that way you don't have to throw out plastic wrap or foil. Also, 2 hours is usually sufficient cooling time.)

Preheat oven to 375F. On a lightly floured surface (you'll need more flour at the beginning to prevent sticking) roll half of the dough at at time until 1/8 inch thick. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut through dough. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. If using decorating sugar, sprinkle it on now. Bake for 6 to 7 minutes or until bottoms are light brown (6 minutes in my gas whirlpool oven). Transfer to a wire rack, cool.

Spread desired flavor of buttercream frosting onto cookies. You can make sandwichs by topping with a cookie (use bottom sides for icing sides), or cover one side (top) with icing and decorate with sprinkles.

Buttercream Frosting
(So easy to make - tastes just like store bought or better but for half the price)

1/2 C butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 to 2 T milk

In a bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (may take a minute or two). Add vanilla. Beat in half of the powdered sugar. Beat in 1 T of milk. Beat in the remaining powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in enough of the remaining milk to make frosting of spreading consistency.

***If you want to color the icing, add food coloring prior to adding remaining milk. If frosting still needs to be thinned, then add a little bit of the milk at a time, mixing well in between.

Frosting variations

Citrus buttercream:
Prepare buttercream frosting substituting finely shredded lemon, orange, or lime peel for the vanilla, and lemon, orange, or lime juice for the milk.

Chocolate buttercream:
Prepare buttercream frosting, substituting 1/2 C cocoa powder for 1/4 C of the powdered sugar.

Coffee buttercream:
Prepare buttercream frosting, omitting vanilla and substituting 2 T coffee liqueur or strong-brewed coffee for the milk. Stir in additional powdered sugar as needed to make a frosting of spreading consistency.

Peppermint buttercream:
Prepare buttercream frosting, substituting 1/2 tsp peppermint extract for the vanilla. If desired, stir in 2 T crushed peppermint candies.

Almond buttercream:
Prepare buttercream frosting, substituting 1/4 tsp almond extract for the vanilla.



Shown with chocolate buttercream frosting sandwiches, plain cookies, and buttercream frosting tinted pink cookies with sprinkles