Sugar Cookies with Sugar Cookie Frosting

To be exact - Kraft Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies with Frosting. I know that's where we got this recipe. We've had it for years. I recall Emilynn making this a number of years ago, so it is easy enough for kids to make, although I spent 3 hours making them last time, but I'm not a speedy cookie maker. It says prep is 20 minutes and the total is 1 hour 40 minutes, including refrigeration. Those must be speedy cookie makers who throw all the cookies into the oven at once.

Ingredients: 
Cookies:
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened 
1 cup powdered sugar 
3/4 cup butter, softened 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
2 cups flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
extra flour

Frosting:

4 cups confectioner's sugar

½ cup shortening

5 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

food coloring (optional)

Directions: 

Cookies:

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar, butter and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well.  
2. Refrigerate 1 hour.  
3. Preheat oven to 325. 
4. To shape, generously flour a surface.
5. Take about one fist of dough, roll into a ball, then squash flat onto the surface. Roll out the dough to a thin sheet.
6. Use your favorite cookie cutters to make seasonal shapes, or geeky shapes, or just geometrical shapes.
7. Bake for 8 - 12 minutes. 
8. Let cool before frosting. Decorate your cookies to your pleasure.

Frosting:

1. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the confectioner's sugar and shortening until smooth. 
3. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. 
4. Color with food coloring if desired.

Notes:

• Supposedly makes about 3 dozen, but that depends on the shapes you make and their sizes.
• I also use as much of the dough as possible. I take the bits that don't make it into the shapes, and add it to the fresh dough to roll out. This helps stretch the number of cookies you can make.
• In my opinion, sugar cookie making is boring. But add friends and family and it is a joy.