Molding Dough Cookies - cooking recipe

Ingredients

3 ounces cream cheese, completely softened
1/2 cup butter (not margarine, completely softened)
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Work time is an estimate. Mixing the dough requires little or no time, it's the roll out and cutting that is time consuming.
Combine all ingredients except flour.
Note here: 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese or Neufachtel is fine, but fat free doesn't work as well. Also, while most cooks agree Philadelphia is the best cream cheese, this recipe is not as temperamental as cheese cake recipes so off brand cream cheese works fine.
Stir by hand until well blended. Add flour, stirring until dough forms a ball. Knead in a bowl or on a floured surface, 1-3 minutes, adding additional flour until smooth and pliable, and not sticky.
Roll out or press into 1/4 inch thick (or however thick you prefer your cookies to be)rectangle on floured surface and cut into shapes with favorite cookie cutters. Or, the dough can be shaped by hand. Mom made little \"nests\" at Easter and filled then with white frosting, green coconut, and egg shaped M&Ms. The dough can also be pressed into candy molds, removed and baked into those shapes.
Bake at 350 on ungreased cookie sheets until edges are light brown. 5-10 minutes. Don't over bake. Remove carefully from cookie sheets. When cool, ice as desired, or leave plain.