1. Place cream cheese in a large bowl to knead dough.

2. Pour in the sugar. Add butter, salt, vanilla extract and zest. Beat the mixture until light and fluffy. You will need 2 minutes.

3. Pour in the baking powder. Add the flour in batches. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. Be careful not to over mix, just stir until everything is combined. Chill the dough in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for half an hour. While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

4. Roll out half of the dough on a board sprinkled with flour to 1/4-inch thickness.

5. Using cookie cutter molds, cut out shapes from the dough.

6. Place the shapes on a silicone baking mat. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 minutes. The cookies will remain white and the edges will brown slightly.

7. After baking, let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Once cooled, unleash your creativity and decorate the cookies to your liking. Use melted chocolate drops, colorful icing, sprinkles, or just a sprinkle of powdered sugar to make these cookies a canvas for your holiday cheer.

These Cream Cheese Cookies are now ready to be savored. Share them with loved ones, leave some for Santa, or package them beautifully to give as heartfelt homemade gifts.