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Canal House Sugar Cookies

Source of Recipe


Adapted from "Canal House Cooking, Vol. No. 5, The Good Life"



List of Ingredients



• 2 cups flour
  
• 1 tsp coarse salt
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 large egg yolk
  
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• ½ cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
  
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  






Instructions



1. Sift the flour and salt together into a medium bowl. Lightly whisk together the whole egg and egg yolk in a small bowl. Beat together the butter, confectioners' sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl with the mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until just combined. Add the sifted flour; beat just until the dough is smooth.
   
   
2. Cut 8 pieces of parchment paper into 8- x 12-inch sheets. Lay one sheet on a flat work surface; put a quarter of the dough in the center. Lay another sheet on top of the dough; roll the dough out between the sheets until it is 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the rolled-out dough to a flat tray. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking the sheets of dough on top of each other. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 4 hours or up to 3 days.
   
   
3. Heat the oven to 350° F. Take one sheet of dough out of the refrigerator at a time. Peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Cut out desired shapes with floured cookie cutters, leaving them in place. Transfer the shapes with a thin spatula to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Decorate them, if you like, with sprinkles or sugars. Refrigerate the cut-out shapes on the baking sheet until cold, 15 minutes. Repeat until all of the dough has been cut into shapes. Bake the cookies, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking, so they are slightly puffed and the edges are pale golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes; transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
   
   Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
   
   






Final Comments


"What's key here is to be sure to let the soft dough rest in the refrigerator and keep the dough cold when it's being worked."