Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar: Place the softened butter, cream cheese, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer). Beat together on medium until very light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beater.

Beat in the egg, extracts, and lemon zest: Add the egg to the mixing bowl and continue beating until it’s fully incorporated and the batter is smooth again. Beat in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beater.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, beating on low speed until everything starts clumping together into a soft dough and the flour is nearly incorporated (the sides of the bowl will still look floury).

Mix a few times by hand: Use a stiff spatula to incorporate the last of the flour and to make sure everything from the sides and bottom of the bowl have been worked in. The finished dough will be very soft and quite sticky.

Roll out the dough between wax paper: Divide the dough into two portions. Sandwich each half between wax paper and pat the dough into thick disks. Then use a rolling pin to roll each disk out to 1/4- to 1/8-inches thick.

Chill the dough: Transfer the rolled-out dough to a baking sheet, still sandwiched between wax paper, stacking them on top of each other. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour or for up to 5 days. (See Recipe Notes for freezing instructions.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F: Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or a Silpat.

Cut out the cookies: Work with one portion of dough at a time, leaving the other in the refrigerator. Transfer the dough to your work surface and peel off the top layer of wax paper. You can cut out the cookies on the wax paper, or you can dust your work surface with flour, flip the dough over on top, and peel off the other piece of wax paper. Cut out cookie shapes and transfer to the prepared baking sheet with a spatula. (Do not bake the cookies on the wax paper; the wax will melt in the oven.) Repeat with the other portion of dough. Re-roll the dough scraps to cut out additional cookies.

Bake for 8 to 15 minutes: Bake the cookies until the edges are set and just barely starting to turn golden, 8 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your cookies.

Cool the cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes — they are delicate when first out of the oven and can break if moved sooner. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. If any cookies have baked together in the oven, use a sharp paring knife to gently cut them apart while the cookies are still warm.

Frost or glaze the cookies: Once completely cool, the cookies can be frosted, glazed, or decorated.

Store sugar cookies: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best if eaten within 5 days.