Ingredients:

  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Large Egg, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 cups Sifted Icing Sugar (Confectioner's Sugar)
  • 3-4 tablespoons Milk (or water)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for glaze)

Instructions:

  1. Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light, pale, and fluffy (approx. 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently.
  3. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until just combined. Do not overmix here.
  4. Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Stop mixing the moment you see no dry flour streaks remaining. (Overmixing develops gluten, leading to tough, spread-prone cookies.)
  5. Shape and Chill: Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to 2 days. This chilling step is mandatory for shape retention.
  6. Preheat and Prepare: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll the Dough: Remove one disk of dough from the fridge. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin (or roll between parchment paper). Roll the dough out evenly to a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch (6 mm).
  8. Cut Shapes: Use your chosen cookie cutters to cut shapes. Transfer the cut dough pieces carefully onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space between them.
  9. Chill (Quick Chill): For absolute shape perfection, place the sheet trays holding the cut cookies into the freezer for 5-10 minutes before baking.
  10. Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are set and just barely start to turn golden brown.
  11. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  12. Make the Glaze (Optional): Whisk together the icing sugar, vanilla, and milk in a small bowl until smooth. Add more milk or sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
  13. Decorate: Dip the tops of the completely cooled cookies into the glaze, or use a piping bag to decorate. Allow the glaze to set fully before storing.