Ingredients

1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly soft
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus as needed

For Decorating:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
About 1 tablespoon milk
Food coloring, if desired
Sprinkles, candies, cored sugar as desired

Instructions

Whisk the egg and vanilla in a
small bowl and set aside.

With a hand held mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with
a rubber spatula, add both sugars, and continue beating until light, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the
bowl again, if needed, then add the egg mixture, beating for about 1 minute. Sift the salt with the flour.
Reduce the mixer to a low speed and then add the flour mixture, mixing just until blended.

Turn the dough out of the bowl. Divide the dough in half and place each half between 2 pieces of lightly
floured parchment or waxed paper. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a disk about 1/4-inch thick.
Slide the dough/parchment sheet onto a flat cookie sheet, or on the back of a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate
until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Evenly space the racks in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Place 1 disk of the cookie dough on a clean
work surface and peel off the top sheet of paper. Cut cookies with a 1 1/2-inch round or a decorative shaped
cookie cutter directly on the parchment. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined or
non-stick baking sheet, spacing them about 1-inch apart. Repeat with other sheet of dough. Any excess dough
can be re-rolled, refrigerated, and cut.

Bake until the edges of the cookies are a light golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to
cool.

For decorating: Whisk the confectioners' sugar with just enough milk to make a thick icing. Transfer icing to
a small plastic bag. Press the icing into a corner of the bag and snip off the corner with scissors to make a
small opening. Gently press the icing onto the cookie to make a simple pattern. Decorate as desired. Set aside
for about 1 hour to let the icing harden.

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Copyright 2003 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved Variations:
Walnut Orange: Add 3/4 teaspoon grated zest of orange with the sugar, and 2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts with
the flour.

Pecan-Cinnamon: Mix 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon with the flour, and add 2/3 cup finely chopped pecans with the
flour. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies before baking with a mixture of 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 2
teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Almond: Reduce the vanilla extract to 1 teaspoon and add 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract. Add 3/4 cup chopped
toasted sliced almonds to the dough with the flour. If desired, for decoration, brush the tops of the unbaked
cookies with some egg white and press a few un-toasted almond slices onto the top of each cookie prior to

baking.