Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

I have received so many compliments for these! I like to make them as Valentine's Day gifts for teachers and cut them into heart shapes. Then we dip half the heart in chocolate or white chocolate colored pink and the kids add sprinkles. In a pretty box these make a very nice gift.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

FOR COATING

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or white chocolate)

2 tablespoons shortening

DIRECTIONS:

Combine butter, sugar, cream cheese, egg and vanilla in large bowl. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, beat until well mixed. Wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut dough with lightly floured cookie cutter. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove immediately to wire racks to cool completely.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in small saucepan over low heat. Dip half of each cookie into melted chocolate. Refrigerate on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper until chocolate is firm.

*This is a sticky dough. I divide the original dough ball into 3 parts so I have to take the dough out of refrigeration as little as possible. Any dough that is not being worked with needs to be put back in the refrigerator.

*If you don't have shortening, I have been successful with vegetable oil and butter. Just experiment with it until you get a good consistency--thin enough for dipping but not so thin that it won't firm up.

*Of course, if you want to embellish your cookies with sprinkles like us, do this before you allow the chocolate to harden.