Adorable Button “Cookies “...

These lovely Button Cookies have been in my mind since I saw the picture of them on a Spanish magazine last year. I did my shopping in a hurry at the market and saw these on the cover of a magazine next to the check out just after I made the payment. I loved the idea of button cookies, they were so cute!
These are little vanilla cream cheese button cookies. They’re adorable and I had too much fun with these button cookies! My favorite thing was when my children asked if they could help me to make another “button”-) These cookies are perfect for baby shower or birthday party, holiday gifts and just for fun.

Yield: about 3 dozen

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• assorted colors of paste food coloring

Directions:

1. In a bowl cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until smooth.
2. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir till soft dough forms. Divide dough into two parts. Tint each with a different food color. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Remove from refrigerator, one color at a time and on a lightly floured surface, roll dough until just over 1/8″ thick.
5. Cut 2-inch rounds with round cutter. Next on each round, just in from the edge, mark with a smaller round cutter, approximately 1.5 inches diameter, pressing slightly, but not pushing through. Run a metal spatula underneath the dough, to make sure it is not sticking to the table, sprinkle with flour underneath as necessary.
6. With top of a small #3 piping tip (or with straw) cut 2 or 4 holes in the centre of each cookie so it resembles a button, make sure to push down to the counter so the small pieces fall out.
7. Lift dough with metal spatula onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a sil-pat, collect scraps and repeat.
8. Follow the same method with another color, being sure to clean your work surface between each.
9. Refrigerate buttons for 15 minutes before baking.
10. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes.
11. Transfer to a cooling rack and eat with a perfect cup of tea.