1. In a medium-sized bowl, combine 1 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup white sugar, and 3 tsp. vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth, about 4 minutes.

2. To that, crack in 1 large egg and continue beating.

 3. Add 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Beat until a soft dough forms.

4. Now, transfer about 1 cup of the dough to a separate bowl, and save for later.

5. To the remaining dough, add about 3 tsp. red food gel. You may need to add more to get a vibrant red color.

6. Now it’s time to roll out the balls! For each Santa from the red dough, you will need to roll out: a 1-inch ball (for the body), and 5, 1/2 inch balls (for the arms, legs, and hat).

7. From the plain dough, for each Santa, you’ll need: a 3/4 inch ball (for the head), 5 *a bit smaller* 1/2 inch balls (for the hands feet, and pom-pom for the hat). They don’t need to be perfect, as long as they’re roughly the same size.

8. Once all of the Santas are shaped, bake them in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Let cool.

9. While the cookies are cooling, make the frosting. Combine 1/2 cup softened butter, 2 oz. cream cheese, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract.

 10. Beat that then add in 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar.

 11. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag, and pipe onto your cooled cookies! Enjoy!