Christmas Twirls (cookies)

Total Time: 59 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 14 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks, no substitute)
• 2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (6 oz.)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup red sugar crystals
• 1/3 cup green sugar crystals
• coarse sugar crystals

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees f. you'll need two baking sheets.
• 2 in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium, beat butter until crreamy. beat in cream cheese; add sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. on low speed, beat in flour.
• 3 roll dough unto a 16 x 11-inch rectangle between 2 sheets of waxed paper. chill in freezer 30 minutes.
• 4 remove top sheet of waxed paper, with long side parallel to you, sprinkle half the dough lengthwise with red sugar crystals and half with green. using bottom piece of paper to help you, roll up dough jelly-roll fashion to form a long log. roll log in sugar crystals wrap in plastic; freeze 30 minutes.
• 5 using a serrated knife, cut log into 5/8-inch slices. place slices on ungreased baking sheets inch apart. bake 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned and puffy cool on sheets 2 minutes. transfer to wire racks to cool completely.