Sweet Christmas Sandwich Cremes

COOKIES:
1 cup unsalted butter (no substituting margarine!), softened
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
sugar

FILLING:
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Food coloring

In a mixing bowl, combine butter, cream and flour; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

Divide into thirds; let one portion stand at room temperature for 15 minutes (keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to roll out). On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 1-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Place cutouts in a shallow dish filled with sugar; turn to coat. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Prick with a fork several times. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-9 minutes or until set. Cool on wire racks.

For filling, in a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Tint with food coloring. Spread about 1 teaspoon of filling over half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies.

Lemon Sandwich Cremes

COOKIES
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar plus 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

FILLING
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 16-oz. box confectioners' sugar plus 1 tsp. lemon extract
3 to 4 tbsp. milk

1. To make the cookies, combine butter and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Beat the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and salt. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until combined.

2. Divide the dough in half. Form each piece into a round and place between two large sheets of waxed paper. Roll out until each round is about 1/4 inch thick, replacing the waxed paper if it rips or crinkles. If the dough is too soft, freeze or refrigerate it for a few minutes.

3. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into circles (or other shapes) about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Transfer the shapes on the waxed paper to an ungreased baking sheet and place in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the dough is firm.

4. Transfer the cookies to another ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until the cookies start to lightly brown around the edges. Set the sheet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then, transfer the cookies to racks and cool completely.

5. To make the lemon filling, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl. Gradually add enough of the milk until the frosting is spreadable. You may want to also add some yellow food coloring to enhance the appearance.

6. Spread the bottoms of half of the cooled cookies with approximately 1 tablespoon of the filling. Place a second cookie, bottom facing down, on top of the filling. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!