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Pastry cookie, Petit Beurre Cookies

Source of Recipe

Oregonian


Recipe Introduction

These stay fresh almost indefinitely

List of Ingredients

3 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
12 T unsalted butter, softened (1-1/2 sticks)see note
1 C granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 C milk


Recipe

Cover 2 cookie sheets or jellyroll pans with parchment or foil. In a medium bowl combine flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder and baking soda, and stir well to mix.
In a bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed for about a minute. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating smooth after each addition.
Stop mixer and scrape bowl and beater. On lowest speed, add half the flour mixture. After the dry ingredients have been absorbed, beat in all the milk. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl and beater. Then on low speed add remaining flour mixture.
Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Press into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap and chill dough for several hours or up to 3 days.
to bake, set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour the dough. Press and pound the dough gently with a rolling pin to soften, then roll it out into a 12 inch rectangle. Cut the square in half, then roll each into a 9x12 inch rectangle. With the tines of a fork, pierce the dough at 1.2 inch intervals to prevent it from puffing when baking. Use a pizza wheel to cut each rectangle into 3 inch strips on the 9 inch side. Then cut across the strips at 1-1/2 inch intervals to make 24 rectangular cookies on each half. use a narrow spatula to transfer cookies to the prepared pans. Leave 1 inch space between cookies for expansion.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes,or until light golden all over. Slide the papers or foil onto cooling racks. Store the cooled cookies in a tin with tight fitting cover.
Note; use real butter or stick margarine. Do not substitute reduced fat spreads, their higher water content often yields less satisfactory results.