Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. I always use an oven thermometer. Ovens can, and usually do, heat at a different temperature than what shows on your oven screen. For the best results in any of your baking, I highly recommend using an oven thermometer. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add your cream cheese, cool unsalted butter, sugar, and salt. The temperature of the butter and the fact that you use unsalted butter matter here.

Turn your mixer on the lowest speed available. We don't want to incorporate any air into the dough. Air will cause spreading! We only want to mix this until it starts to incorporate. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Add the cold egg and the vanilla. Again, the temperature of the eggs matter. You want to use them cold.

Again, turn your mixer on to the lowest speed and mix just until the eggs and vanilla have incorporated into the other ingredients. Scrape down the bottom and sides of your bowl. If you need to, mix for a few more seconds. You will see small pieces of butter and that's okay!

Add the flour to your wet ingredients.

Once more, turn your mixer on to the lowest setting, and mix until it all comes together. It will to gather onto the paddle. It doesn't take long, so don't walk away from it. Turn the mixer off and touch the dough. If you can leave an imprint with your finger without the dough sticking to it, its ready. I live in a humid area, but the amount of flour in the recipe is perfect 9 1/2 times out of 10.

If you've made my Foolproof No Chill No Spread Sugar Cookies, this Cream Cheese dough is slightly stickier. You will need to dust your parchment paper or silicone baking mat with flour, as well as the top of the dough before rolling. I'd also dust the cookie cutter with flour. I also use two pieces of 3/8 inch thick wood as my guide to roll my dough between. This will give you perfectly even cookies every time!

Using a rolling pin, roll your dough out and cut into the shapes you need.

Place your cut dough onto your parchment paper or silicone baking mat covered cookie sheet and bake in your preheated oven for 12-14 minutes depending on the size of your cookies. You don't want your cookies to brown.

After removing from the oven, let the cookies set on the cookie sheet for 2-4 minutes.

Move them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

I usually let my cookies sit in a tupperware container on a paper towel overnight before decorating. This will help grab any extra butter so you don't get that dreaded "butter bleed" after you've spent 2 days decorating them!

Enjoy your delicious, thick, soft (but sturdy), cream cheese sugar cookies!

These cookies do very well if you'd like to add spices or a bit of extracts to them! Some spices that taste wonderful in this recipe are: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and even Pumpkin Pie Spice! Let your imagination have some fun and be deliciously creative!