Gift of Simplicity: Christmas Cut-Outs

Christmas Cut-Outs

2 Cups Butter, softened
1 8-oz. Cream Cheese, softened
2 Cups Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1 teaspoon Vanilla
4-1/2 Cups Flour

In mixing bowl cream together Butter and Cream Cheese until fluffy. Add Sugar, Egg Yolks and Vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in Flour. Cover and chill 2 hours. Roll out on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into shapes. Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes, or until set. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes; transfer to cooling rack. Frost when cool. Makes about 7 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Butter Cream Frosting
3-1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar, divided
4 Tablespoons Butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
3 to 4 Tablespoons Milk, divided.
Food Coloring, if desired

Combine 1-1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar, Butter, Vanilla, and 3 Tablespoons Milk in mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Gradually add in remaining Powdered Sugar, Milk, and Food Coloring, if desired; mix until frosting reaches desired consistancy. Frost and decorate cookies.

"And Mary gave birth to her Son, her first-born,

and she laid Him in a manger,

because there was no room or place for them in the inn."

Luke 2:7 Amplified Bible

It's that time of year again.

The one time of the year that I actually make cut-out cookies.

And because I so dislike making cut-out cookies, I make a double recipe to make sure we have enough. This recipe makes 7 dozen. Double it, and it's 14 dozen. That's about 168 cookies. The final cookies to get decorated are, well, unique--to put it mildly. And no, I don't limit the shapes to just 'Christmas' shapes. We use 'em all. Even the frog and the fish and the piggy-toes.

This recipe is a favorite of our family's, but then, who doesn't like a cooky with cream cheese in the dough? (Don't you just love the old-fashioned way of spelling 'cooky'? I sure do! This recipe is from Far Above Rubies, page 324.