Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter (2 sticks), cold and cut into chunks
- 1 cup granulated sugar (or vanilla sugar)
- 1 egg
- 2 vanilla beans, scraped
- 1/2 tsp pure almond extract
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350° F to prepare for baking your cookies.
- Make Cookie Dough: In a mixing bowl, cream together the cold butter chunks and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the egg, scraped vanilla beans, and almond extract until fully combined. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a cohesive dough forms.
- Roll Out and Cut: Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough out to just over 1/4-inch thickness. Use your preferred cookie cutters to cut out shapes, then carefully transfer the cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Freeze, Bake and Cool: Place the baking sheet with cut cookies into the freezer for 5-7 minutes to help them hold their shape. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned but the edges remain pale. Remove from the oven and cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. Decorate as desired once cool.
Notes
- Using cold butter helps prevent the dough from becoming too soft and helps maintain cookie shape during baking.
- Freezing the cut-out cookies before baking minimizes spreading for crisp edges.
- Substitute vanilla sugar for granulated sugar for a more intense vanilla flavor.
- These cookies store well in an airtight container for up to one week.
- For a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend instead of regular flour.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
