I have a few recipes that I can use throughout the year. This is one of them. It comes from Ina Garten. With this recipe I am able to use any cookie cutter and a variety of sugars or decors to make the cookies look holiday specific.
The best part of this recipe is the consistency of the cookie dough. After mixing, I chill and then roll into cookies on either waxed paper or a silpat mat. The result is PERFECT every time. The cookie dough is firm and not crumbly. It is neither sticky nor dry.
The recipe comes from Ina’s first cookbook published in 1999 –The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook.
To make these cookies:
Gather these ingredients. 3 sticks room temperature unsalted butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt, then slowly add to the sugar mixture. Mix on low. Roll into a flat disc with a bit of extra flour, wrap in plastic and place on a sheet pan. Chill for 30 minutes to one hour in the refrigerator.
Remove and roll on waxed paper or a silpat mat until 1/2 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cookies on a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat mats, and sprinkle with decorations or sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes depending on your oven.
My hint: I always chill these cookies on the sheet pan before baking. The cookie edges are cleaner and stay firm when baking. 
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