Thinking Ahead...

Christmas is going to be a little different for us this year. I will be on unpaid maternity leave and there will be a new baby in the house. Despite these slight changes, I still love the traditions that Christmas brings and there are definitely a few of them that I'm looking forward to.

decorating the tree/mantle
making Christmas cookies
wrapping presents
writing Santa a letter with Ayden
all of the yummy food

I know it may seem crazy to be thinking about all of this since it's only November 3rd, but as I look out my window the park is full of workers setting up Christmas decorations. Christmas decorations already?!?! It does seem a bit early, but it's definitely got me thinking ahead.

So, I thought I'd share my absolute favorite sugar cookie recipe. I made these for our Central Services Holiday Outing three years in a row and everyone just LOVED them!

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 (3oz) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond and vanilla extracts and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Stir in four until well blended. Chill the dough for 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness, refrigerating remaining dough until ready to use. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain for frosting, or brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or colored sugar.
4. Bake for 7-10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

And to top everything off, I always make my favorite cream cheese frosting for decorating. I'm a frosting snob and use this recipe for everything...carrot cake, cupcakes, cookies...or to simply eat straight from the bowl.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine confectioners sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Spread onto anything...cookies, cupcakes, cake or your tongue:)

Now that I'm dying for a handful of decorated sugar cookies, I may have to see if I have a turkey or some leaves in my cookie cutter stash and make a few batches in celebration of Thanksgiving!

Enjoy!