Ingredients

  • 1/2 C unsalted butter , room temperature
  • 1 C sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 C flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

  1. Gather baking sheets and parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
  3. Add egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
  4. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add to wet ingredients and mix until well combined. The dough will be thick. The perfect mix is when the sides of your bowl are completely clean, and all the dough is gathered around the paddle (see figure 1 ).
  5. Place one sheet of parchment paper on your rolling surface, then half the dough, topping with another parchment sheet (see figure 2). Roll the dough between 1/4 and 3/8 inch (Rolling pin spacers make this easier (see supply list on page 7)). You can also use water bottle caps as guides.
  6. Slide your rolled dough with parchment paper sheets onto a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more, or freeze for 15 minutes. Repeat step 5 with the other half of your dough, stacking the next dough sheet on top of the completed sheet(s). You need the dough cold enough to be very stiff, but not rock solid when cutting.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  8. Remove one dough sheet at a time from the fridge/freezer. Peel off the top sheet of parchment, and place it back onto the dough. Flip the whole sheet sandwich over, and peel the next top parchment sheet off.
  9. Cut out cookies. The chilled dough should stick into the cutter, so gently pop it out with a finger. Use a pairing knife or pen knife to hand cut shapes (see page 9 for templates). Transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, preferably one that you will not bake on. Once you have cut enough shapes to fill the sheet, refrigerate or freeze until the shapes are very solid, about 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator, or 5 minutes in the freezer. You can re-roll excess dough, following steps 5-9 until all the dough is used.
  10. Transfer the cut and chilled cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven when the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny, or when edges are VERY lightly golden. The level of doneness is up to personal preference.
  11. Allow cookies to cool for 10 or more minutes before removing from the sheet. Store stacked between parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.