Cream Cheese Butter Cookies

Solid, stick-to-your-rib cookies that hold molds and impressed images beautifully. Modified from House On The Hill. These are wonderful with hot tea or coffee, and my 3 yr old son loves them, even when I forgot the lemon oil.

• Ready In: 32 mins
• Yields: 30-36 cookies

Ingredients

• 2  cups flour, sifted
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 cup butter, softened
• 2  ounces cream cheese
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 1  egg yolk
• 1  lemon, rind of, finely grated
• 1  teaspoon  lemon extract (optional) or 1  teaspoon  orange oil (optional)

Directions

1. Sift four and salt, together. Cream butter and cheese, slowly adding sugar, and mix well. Beat in egg yolk, then the flavoring. Dough will be STICKY!. Chill dough at least 4 hours (overnight is better, though!).
2. Preheat oven to 350°F.
3. Roll out dough (on floured surface) to about 1/4" thickness, if using molds. Imprint, cut, and place on cookie sheet.
4. If not molding/imprinting cookies, make into smallish balls, squash flat with your palms, and place on cookie sheet. Prick each blob with a fork.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes, until cookies are JUST turning light brown around the edges. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool.
6. Once cooled completely, they can be stored in airtight containers.