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Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 16 tablespoons butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pans
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon milk, or as needed

Directions

1. Use an electric mixer to cream together the 2 sticks butter and the sugar until light and fluffy; add the egg and vanilla and beat until blended.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beat for a few seconds, then pinch the dough to see if it holds together easily.
4. If not, add some milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating and stopping to pinch the dough after each addition.
5. Divide the dough in half.
6. Shape each piece into a log 2 inches in diameter by rolling it on a flat surface.
7. Wrap them in wax paper, parchment, or plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
8. Heat the oven to 400 F.
9. Lightly grease 1 or 2 baking sheets with some butter.
10. Cut each roll of cookie dough crosswise into slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
11. Put the cookies on the prepared sheets, leaving 1 inch of space between them.
12. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned and the center is set.
13. Cool for 2 minutes on the sheets; then transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.
14. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for no more than a day or two.

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