Cutout Cookies

It's fun to roll out dough and cut it into shapes. Why not start a cookie-cutter collection?

To make: 1 hour
To bake: 14 minutes

You Will Need:
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Makes about 30 cookies. Bake at 350˚F

1. Start mixing. Put the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and beat together until well mixed.
2. Add the flour. Sift in the flour and add the salt. Mix again to make a dough.
3. Make into a ball. Now it's time to get sticky! Press the dough together firmly with your hands to make a ball.
4. Roll out the dough. Roll the dough between a folded piece of baking parchment. Until about 1/4 inch thick.
   
   Chill the rolled dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Press out shapes. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Gather up the trimmings into a ball, then roll out again and make more shapes.
   
   Press down firmly, making sure the sharper side of the cutter is facing down.
6. Put on a cookie sheet. Lift cookies with a palette knife and arrange the shapes slightly apart on non-stick cookie sheets.
7. Bake for about 14 minutes. Then cool on a rack.
   
   For another variation, you can make chocolate cookies by splitting the dough into two at step 3 and adding 1 tbsp cocoa powder to one half.