The Best Cookies Ever
The Boy: ” Mom, these cookies are the best cookies ever. Either you need to make them all the time or never make them again!”.
From Gourmet Magazine’s Letters to the Editor in the Dec. 2008 edition.
Real Danish Butter Cookies
Makes about 9 dozen
Active Time: 1 hour Start to Finish: 1 ¼ hour
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 lb. unsalted butter at room temperature for 1 hour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
3 to 4 tablespoon sanding or other coarse grain sugar
1) Preheat oven to 325 with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper
2) Whisk together flour and baking soda.
3) Beat butter with an electric mixer until fluffy (if using a stand mixer, use paddle attachment), then add sugar and flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Divide dough in half
4) Roll each piece of dough between large sheets of plastic wrap (about 1/8 inch thick). Chill on a tray until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut into 2 by 1.5 inch rectangles and arrange 1 inch apart on 2 large baking sheets. (If dough becomes too soft, chill or freeze until firm enough to handle.)
5) Brush tops of cookies lightly with beaten egg, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake cookies, 2 sheets at a time, switching positions of pans halfway through baking, until cookies are very pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then carefully slide cookies (on parchment) to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough, baking on cooled, freshly lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps once.
Dough can be made one day ahead, chilled. Cookies keep in airtight container at room temperature, 1 week.
My notes:
No point in preheating the oven until you actually are about to make the cookies.
I wasn’t happy with the rectangles I made, so I made the cookies smaller and used a flower-shaped cookie cutter.
I suggest dividing the dough into 4 sections, not half, when you roll it out between the plastic wrap. It was easier to deal with and easier to put in the fridge to chill.
I re-rolled the dough twice – no one complained (actually, they just wanted more!)