Valentine's Day Cookies

This cookie recipe comes from my Mom, as do most of the other cookie recipes I use and have blogged about.  I use this recipe for every season and love it because I always seem to have the five ingredients on hand. They come together quickly and easily and aren't a fussy cookie.

Here is the recipe.

Traditional Rolled Butter Cookies

1/2 pound butter (2 sticks/1 cup)

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the butter.  Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy.  Add the flour in small amounts, mixing well after each addition.  Add the milk and vanilla last.  Turn out onto a board and kneed for about a half a minute.  Roll out to 1/4 inch thick.  Cut out with cookie cutters.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Watch them closely.  They should be almost white when ready to remove from the oven.  {I almost always double this recipe}.

I typically use a butter frosting to decorate these cookies but for some reason I used a cream cheese frosting this time.  My boys loved the change, so I'll share it with you!

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces softened cream cheese

1/2 cup softened butter

2 teaspoons vanilla or almond extract

4 1/2 to 4 3/4 cups confectioners sugar

Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar one cup at a time and beat well after each addition.  {This was more than enough frosting to cover the doubled cookie recipe}.

I divided the frosting in half and added a couple of drops of red food coloring to make a lovely shade of pink.  The other half I left white.  Decorate the cookies however you wish!

And so, since we're in the month of love now, I would like to thank all of my lovely readers for reading this little blog and for your sweet emails and questions.  Keep them coming!  I didn't know if I would stick with this blog thing but have found such enjoyment in it and appreciate the friends I have made.  You're all pretty terrific!

Happy February to you all!

Also, thanks Mom for baking such wonderful things for us as kids!

I'm linking up to:

Decor Chick