Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies

Time is running out....Christmas is days way and there is still so much to do.  I sat down yesterday and planned out my holiday menu.  Lasy night was dinner with our foodie friends and hubby took care of the dessert.  Today was going to be  brunch at a local inn and then we planned on going to a concert at the Cathedral.   Didn't work out for me.  Woke up with a cold but the rest of the family went.  Monday is a half day of work for me, then the grocery store followed by Christmas with my side of the family.

I am the last of 5 kids, all of us are married.  My mom has 10 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren with 2 more on the way.  So counting all of us up including fiancée and boyfriend/girlfriends you are looking around 30 people for dinner.  Our contribution to this big feast will be a salad and I am planning on a cheese platter.  Might be the one I saw on pinterest that is shapped like a tree.  We traditionally celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, but as our family has grown it has become harder to get together because of other family obligations.

Christmas Eve will be celebrated at home with our backyard peeps!  The menu is in the works for that night.  Then Christmas day will be at hubby's mothers house.  A smaller dinner is planned for hubby side of the family since he only has 1 sister.

So, on  Saturday before Christmas it was time to make some cookies of my very own.  Remember hubby made the cookies for the exchange last week.  My cookie selection were these easy spritz cookies.

1 cup butter, slightly softened

 3 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups sifted flour

Food coloring (optional)

Colored sugars

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream together butter and cream cheese.  Stir in sugar and vanilla.  Then add sifted flour slowly.  Once mixed add food coloring if desired.  

Fill cookie press with dough, select shape desired and put on to ungreased cookie sheet. Add decorations (sugars).  Bake 8 to 10 minutes, remove from oven and let rest 1 minute.  Move to cooling rack.