Tropical Christmas

RECIPE PALETTE FUN



Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese $
1 cup sugar $
1 egg yolk $
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour $
1/4 teaspoon salt
Decorating Icing

Preparation

1. Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, and beat until smooth. Stir in extracts.
2. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Shape dough into 2 balls; wrap in wax paper, and chill 1 hour or up to 1 week.
3. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. (If dough is too firm to roll, let stand 5 to 10 minutes.) Cut into shapes using 4 1/2-inch cookie cutters. Place cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheets; bake, in batches, at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool on pans 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.