Short Bread Cookies

Happy Monday friends!!!  This morning I’ve got some training at work for a new program I will be working with in the fall and then I will give finals this week.  I am thiiiiiiiissssss close to summer and it can’t get here soon enough. 

So I’m ready to tackle this week! 

Bring it Monday!

Since summer is going to be so sweet, I thought I would tease your sweet tooth with this recipe.

You’re welcome ;-)

I make short bread cookies all. the. time!  Most people look at my cookies and think that they are sugar cookies because of how they look, but they are wrong!  These cookies are a million times better than sugar cookies! ;-) Like sugar cookies, you can use a cookie cutter to make these short bread cookies into any shape you wish, which makes these appropriate for every season and celebration.  Since you’ll love the taste and wont want to change it (I promise!) then you just change the shape and wah-lah! You’ve got a “new” cookie. Simple!

 Ingredients**:
3/4 lb. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a mixer, blend butter & sugar just until combined, then add in vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl mix flour and salt with a whisk.  Then add the flour mixture to the ingredients in your mixer.  Mix on a low speed until a dough begins to form.
4. Cover your counters with wax paper and sprinkle it with flour.  Divide your dough in half and place the first half on the wax paper.  Then take another piece of wax paper and use it to cover the first half of the dough.  Then using a rolling pin, roll the dough between the two pieces of wax paper (this will help you with clean up later).  Roll the dough out to about 1/4 of an inch thick and lay flat in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Repeat with the other half of the dough.  Do not get anxious to try the cookies and skip this cooling step.
5. After the dough has chilled for at least 30 minutes, use a cookie cutter to shape your cookies and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  They will not spread that much so you can cram as many on a cookie sheet as you want, as long as they’re not touching.  Sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top and place them in your oven for 8-9 minutes. If you have unused dough place it back in the fridge.  It is important when the cookies go into the oven that they are still cold, so only take out the dough you need for a tray of cookies, and then put it back until you’re ready for the next batch.
6. When the cookies are done, place them on a cooling rack or DIG IN!

**An alternative version of these delicious short bread cookies is to also add in 1 tsp of almond extract when you add the vanilla.  Another way you could change up this recipe is to add in 1.5 cups of finely diced pecans when you add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Yummy yummy!

These cookies are so versatile.  Not only can you change their shape (hearts for Valentine’s Day, acorns and leaves for fall, or footballs for the Superbowl), but also you can drizzle chocolate on top!  YUMMMY!!!!

Seriously you’ve got to try these!!! I promise you will not regret it!
Have a great week friends!