Soft Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles

Soft Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles

Soooo...I guess I'm still on this sugar cookie kick. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law tried my ombre sugar cookies, and said they'd prefer them more soft than crisp. I baked the next pan of ombres a little less time, and they were met with approval. I figured, though, that by using a little cream cheese, I might achieve an even more desirable texture. I like what the cream cheese does to chocolate chunk cookies and snickerdoodles, anyway. We'll see what they say later, but for now, these are a nice soft, buttery sugar cookie. The thing I like about them is that they're not eggy like some soft sugar cookies I've tried. I bet they'll taste good with frosting too.
Anyway, that's all I've got to say about these. 

Soft Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened, but cool
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup (or so) rainbow nonpareils 

Instructions:

· Preheat oven to 325°F.

· Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar.

· Add vanilla and egg. 

· Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture.  Mix completely, but take care not to over mix.
· Divide dough in half and form each half into a log and wrap in parchment or wax paper. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
· Carefully pour enough nonpareils onto a plate to make a single layer. Cut dough into 1/4 inch slices. Press one side of each circle of dough into the sprinkles and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet, sprinkle side up.
· Fill the pan up, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between cookies. Bake at 325°F for 12-13 minutes, or until cookies are a light golden brown almost all over.
· Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely.

Makes about 4-5 dozen cookies