Holiday Cookies

This cookie dough is similar to the shortbread dough I posted a while back, in that it is an all-butter dough and uses rice flour to give an even shorter bite. But it's a little easier to roll out thinly and better behaved with my collection of cookie cutters. This recipe will make around 24 cookies - depending on the size of your cutters.

Ingredients

3 sticks butter (French or Plus Gras), softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

powdered sugar in a sifter
chocolate glaze or icing to decorate

Cream butter, cup of powdered sugar and vanilla extract until very pale and fluffy. Sift flour with salt and mix gently but thoroughly into the creamed mixture. Gather dough into a ball, place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Roll out dough 3/8 inch thick and cut into shapes with your favorite cookie cutters. The dough is quite resilient so you can re-roll the scraps multiple times.

Bake on cookie sheets lined with baking parchment (325 degrees for about 20 minutes). The cookies should just begin to turn golden. Cool on racks. Decorate according to your mood.

This display is inspired by my Manhattan holiday shopping trip - I had not prepared for the snow, and I sure hope those doggies aren't urinating on the fire hydrants!