Buttercream cookies

1. Soft Buttercream Cookies:
1) Mix 3/4 cup butter and 1/2 cup cream cheese together at a medium speed with a whisk attachment or hand mixer until smooth.

2. 2) Next, mix in 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar at a medium-high speed for a couple minutes, until the mixture becomes lighter in color.

3. 3) Add in 1 egg, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and 1 tsp almond extract. Mix on a low speed until incorporated.

4. 4) In a separate bowl, sift together 3 cups flour, 1 Tbsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.

5. 5) Gradually mix the flour mixture into the butter mixture on a low speed, until it is JUST incorporated. I like to do this in a couple installments and scrape the sides of the bowl between additions.

6. 6) At this point the dough will still be pretty sticky. Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece of dough in a piece of plastic wrap.

7. 7) Chill in the fridge for about 2 hours or the freezer for 30 minutes.

8. 8) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F at this point in the process about 30 minutes before you plan to roll out the dough.

9. 9) Generously dust the surface you plan to roll the cookies out on with additional flour.

10. 10) Take one ball of dough out of the fridge or freezer, leaving the other to continue to chill.

11. 11) Sprinkle some more flour on top of your dough ball and on your rolling pin.

12. 12) Roll the chilled dough to be 1/3 inch thick and cut out your shapes with a flour dusted cookie cutter.

13. 13) Use a kitchen brush to gently brush off any excess flour and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet or silicone mat.

14. 14) Chill the cut-out cookies one more time in the fridge for 15 minutes or the freezer for 10 minutes to help them keep their shape better.

15. 15) Bake for 9-11 minutes on the top wrack of your oven (time varies based on the size and shape of the cookies). Keep a close eye on these and be sure to pull them out before the edges start to brown.

16. 16) Let the baked cookies cool on the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

17. 17) While the first batch bakes and cools, knead together the cookie dough scraps, and rewrap them in plastic wrap. Pop them back in the fridge to chill.

18. 18) Pull out your 2nd chilled ball of dough and repeat steps 9-15. Then repeat with the chilled dough scraps.

19. Buttercream Frosting for Sugar Cookies:
1) Beat 1 cup of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment, until smooth.

20. 2) Mix in 1 Tbsp vanilla paste or vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed

21. 3) Slowly add in 3 1/2 powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Halfway through add in 2 Tbsp of heavy cream or milk to make it easier to mix.

22. 4) Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.

23. 5) If the frosting seems too thick, add in additional cream (1 Tbsp at a time). If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar (quarter of a cup at a time).

24. 6) If you plan to color the buttercream, add in the gel food coloring once the frosting is fully made and beat on low until it reaches the desired colored.

25. 7) Place frosting into a piping bag and decorate as desired! I didn't use a piping tip, and just cut about a 1 inch opening at the end of my bag to pipe some simple swirls on top of my cookies.

26. Tips for Making the Best Buttercream Cookies:
- Liberally flour your counter before you roll out your cookie dough and move it around while you roll and cut your cookies.
- Also flour your cookie cutters before each cut! It helps the dough easily pop out of the cutter and helps the cookies keep their shape.
- Really cream together the butter, cream cheese, and granulated sugar in the first step of this recipe. It helps incorporate air into the dough which makes fluffy and soft cookies.
- Don’t overwork your cookie dough! It can over-work the gluten and result in tough and dense cookies
- Roll your cookie dough out to a consistent thickness of 1/3 inch. If some are thicker or thinner than others, they may over or under bake in the oven.
- Chill your cookie dough. It helps prevent your cookies from spreading while they bake.
- Don’t over bake your cookies. Err of the side of underbaking your cookies and remember that the cookies continue to bake for a few minutes once they’re out of the oven.

27. You can store frosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature or for up to 5 days in the fridge. This cookie dough can also be frozen for up to 1 month if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in an airtight container.