Sugar Cookies

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/4 cups (4 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 Tbs. vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Sift together the all-purpose flour, cake flour and salt into a bowl.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat just until a moist dough forms. Form the dough into 3 equal disks and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate disks until firm, about 45 minutes.

(Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 dough disk 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.

Bake the cookies
Bake until the cookies are golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.)

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Desserts, by Elinor Klivans (Oxmoor House, 2007).