Best Ever Cream Cheese Cookies

I know, I know!! Another recipe for something sweet. I apologize! I promise my next post will be something non-dessert related (note: I did not promise "healthy").
Anyway.
Now that I've apologized for tempting you to gain 5 lbs., allow me to introduce you to adorable, soft, crackly, oh-so-easy Cream Cheese Cookies.

These cookies were born, once again, of my lack of ingredients (and my ingeniously creative mind, of course! ;). I did have one outstanding ingredient, however. Cream cheese. And in my search on Google for cookies containing cream cheese, I stumbled upon this recipe by The Girl Creative. And she was right. These cookies are as good as they look.

Soft and almost creamy on the inside, pretty and crackly on the outside.
Sometimes when I see recipes title "The Best Ever...", it feels like a challenge. "Just try me!" it shouts to me- "See if I'm as good as I say I am!" So I do. And generally, it is. These are. 'Nough said.

Best Ever Cream Cheese Cookies

(printable version)

by The Girl Creative

makes about 2 dozen

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg, room temperature

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

Cream butter and cream cheese in mixer about 1 min. Beat in sugar and baking powder. Add egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Mix in flour.

Chill 30 min. or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375.

Scoop dough by rounded teaspoons and roll into balls. Dip balls in sugar and place on baking sheet.

Bake about 7 min. or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Variation: You can also rolls this dough out for cut-outs (1/4 in. thick) or simply drop the dough onto the sheet. Cooking time remains the same.