Stars of Christmas

Instructions

1. Use an electric mixer to cream together 2 sticks unsalted butter, 2 ounces cream cheese, and 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
2. Add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until fully incorporated.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, and a few grinds of black pepper.
4. Add the flour-spice mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until a soft, pliant dough forms.
5. Divide the dough into 2 equal discs. Place each disc between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to about 1/4-inch thickness, lifting the paper occasionally to prevent sticking.
6. Chill the rolled dough on a flat surface in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease baking sheets with a small amount of unsalted butter.
8. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out stars from the chilled dough. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie.
9. Gather, re-roll, and cut the dough scraps as needed. If the dough becomes sticky, briefly chill it again in the refrigerator. Sprinkle the cut cookies with about 1/2 cup sanding sugar, dividing as needed.
10. Bake the cookies at 350°F for about 8 minutes, or longer if your stars are large, until the edges just begin to brown.
11. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.