12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Day 12 -- Sweedish Cream Cookies

I generally stray away from recipes that require rolling pins or cutting butter into flour.  Why?  I don't know.  I guess I'm kinda lazy.  So, these cookies crossed my radar several times while I was working through the 12 days of Christmas Cookies and I kept pushing them aside.  Finally, I gave in and decided to give them a try.  And, OH. MY. GAWD. am I glad I did.  These things are ahmazing!  From now on, I'm pushing my lazy ways aside and trying new stuff.  Because this is what happens when I try new stuff.  And, really, it wasn't that hard. 


The cookies in this recipe are like a little tiny pie crust.  Soft and buttery.  They just melt in your mouth.  The icing in the middle is the perfect amount of sweetness.  And the texture is silky smooth.  Ahhhh.  And, the fun part is you can color the icing however you'd like and stamp any pattern on top that you'd like.  The possibilities are endless!  Pink and blue with a baby stamp on top for baby showers.  Wedding colors with initials stamped on top for bridal showers.  Pastels for Easter.  Orange and black for Halloween.  Red, white and blue for the 4th of July.  I hope the people who know me in real life like these cookies, cause they're about to have them a lot.  At every possible occasion.  Until I find another recipe to fall in love with . . . 


Also, I accidentally bought Half & Half instead of Cream.  In case my rant above wasn't clear, the cookies still came out tasting great.  But, maybe I should name them Sweedish Half & Half Cookies?


Adapted from: The Food Pusher


Here's what you need for the cookies:
1 cup Unsalted Butter, cold
2 cups Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/3 cup Half & Half


Here's what you do for the cookies:
1.  Cut the butter into the flour until you have coarse crumbs. 


2.  Stir in half and half until a dough forms.  Form dough into ball and refrigerate for at least one hour. 


3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 


4.  Dust a flat surface with flour.  Roll the dough out until it's about 1/8 inch thick.  Cut with a small circle cutter (I used a juice glass). 


5.  Either prick the cookies with a fork or use a cookie cutter to stamp a design on the top of each cookie.  Do NOT cut all the way through the cookie. 


6.  Bake for about 9 minutes.  Remove from the oven when the edges begin turning golden brown.  


7.  Let cookies cool before frosting. 

Here's what you need for the frosting:

1/2 cup Butter, softened

1 1/4 cup Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp Half & Half

1/2 tsp Vanilla

Food Coloring 

Here's what you do for the frosting: 

1.  Beat butter until fluffy. 

2.  Add powdered sugar to butter and beat until creamy. 

3.  Beat in vanilla and half and half. 

4.  Add more powdered sugar or cream until your frosting is the desired consistency. 

5.  Color frosting as desired. 

Here's what you do to assemble:

1.  Invert one cookie and frost the bottom of it.  You can spread frosting on, but it's probably easier to pipe it on.  If you don't have icing bags, put your frosting in a baggie and cut the corner of the baggie off. 

2.  Place another cookie on top. 

Enjoy!