cookies:

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 Tbsp.) butter, cut into 1 Tbsp. chunks and softened
2 Tbsp. cream cheese, softenened
2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • mix dry ingredients in stand mixer, then add butter 1 Tbsp. at a time
  • continue mixing until mixture is crumbly and wet, about 1-2 minutes
  • add cream cheese and vanilla and mix until dough forms chunks, about 30 seconds
  • knead dough in a large bowl until it comes together, then divide in half, shape each half into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes
  • roll dough out to 1/8” thick and chill on baking sheet for 10 minutes
  • cut with cookie cutters and place cookies 1 1/2” apart on cookie sheets
  • bake at 375°F for about 10 minutes, until cookies begin to brown at edges (5 minutes for convection oven)
  • let cookies cool on baking sheet for 3 mintues before transferring to cooling rack

glaze:

1 Tbsp. cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

  • whisk cream cheese and 2 Tbsp. of milk together until smooth
  • add sugar and whisk until smooth, adding remaining milk as needed to make the glaze thin enough to spread easily
  • glaze cooled cookies with about 1 tsp. of glaze for a medium-sized cookie, spreading glaze with the back of a spoon
  • glazed cookies will take at least 30 minutes to dry

source: https://www.food.com/amp/recipe/best-glazed-butter-cookies-americas-test-kitchen-404464 (cook’s illustrated, p. 641)