Pan Sugar Cookies

This past 4th of July weekend I had pan sugar cookies.  I couldn't quit thinking about them.  I asked for the recipe at the BBQ.  Apparently it's not a shared recipe.  So I started looking on the internet.  Surely there was something out there that mimicked those sugar cookies.  I found a few recipes and combined them to make these.

I love sugar cookies.  But I hardly ever make them.  Too much work.  But these little gems do not fall into the "too much work" category.  Plus I love the almond flavoring. 

Pan Sugar Cookies

1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
2 teaspoons almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 ½ cups flour

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together. Add the egg, almond extract and vanilla and blend until smooth. Mix in all of the dry ingredients. Grease a jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Spread the dough in the pan with a long flat spatula. This is the tricky part.  The dough is sticky and it might seem like there's not enough to cover the pan.  I keep dipping my long spatula into the flour while spreading.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Cook just until golden brown.
Let cool completely.

After cooling frost with your favorite frosting.  Or you can use my cream cheese frosting recipe. Or use this simple white frosting.

White Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

dash of salt

6 cups powdered sugar

7-8 T. milk

Mix butter, vanilla, salt, powdered sugar and half of the milk together with electric mixer.  Slowly add more milk until you reach the desired consistency.

Now go and make some for yourself!