Cream Cheese Filled Cookies

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter or 1/3 cup margarine, softened
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 drop yellow food coloring (optional)
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (i prefer to use ghirardelli milk chocolate chips)
• 3 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons margarine

Recipe

• 1 n a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar.
• 2 beat in egg and vanilla.
• 3 combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• 4 shape into two 12-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• 5 unwrap and cut into 1-in. slices.
• 6 place 1 inches apart on greased baking sheet. bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
• 7 immediately make an indentation in the center of each cookie using the end of a wooden spoon handle. remove to wire racks to cool.
• 8 combine filling ingredients in a mixing bowl; mix well.
• 9 place 2 teaspoonfuls in the center of each cookie. let stand until set.
• 10 in a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips and butter; stir until smooth.
• 11 drizzle over cookies. (i use an icing bag to make my cookies more aesthetically pleasing, but beware of burning your hands!) store in the refrigerator.