The Butter Cookies Recipe These thin, elegant cookies are one of my favorite recipes. They are quick, simple, and decidedly addictive.

Ingredients:
11 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
and diced
1⁄2 cup sugar
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted,
plus extra for dusting
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method:
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Have 2 or 3 non-stick baking sheets on hand.

2 Put the butter, sugar, and flour in a large bowl, or into the bowl of a food processor.

3 Rub together, or pulse-blend the ingredients until they look like fine bread crumbs.

4 Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and bring the mixture together into a dough.

5 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it briefly until smooth.

6 Flour the dough and work surface well, and roll it out to a thickness of about 1⁄4in (5mm).

7 Use a palette knife to move the sheet of dough around, to prevent sticking.

8 If the dough is too sticky to roll well, chill for 15 minutes, then try again.

9 With the pastry cutter, cut out round cookies and transfer them to the baking sheets.

10 Re-roll the scraps to 1⁄4in (5mm) thick, and cut out cookies until all the dough is used.

11 Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown at the edges.

12 Leave the cookies to cool until firm enough to handle, then transfer to a wire rack.

13 Leave the butter cookies to cool completely on the wire rack, before serving. STORE The cookies will keep well in an airtight container for 5 days.

Butter Cookies