Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cookies:
- 18 Tbsp butter (2 1/2 sticks)
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Icing:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp vodka (or water)
- Food coloring
Instructions
- Make the cookies by beating the butter and powdered sugar together in a mixer until combined and smooth. Add the egg yolk, salt, and vanilla extract and beat again. Tip in the flour, one cup at a time, and beat after each addition. Mix until smooth.
- Divide the dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and smoosh it down into a flat disk. Let the dough chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/176 F. Place parchment paper on two rimmed baking sheets and set aside.
- Lightly flour a flat surface. Unwrap one dough disk and roll it out to a uniform ¼-inch thickness, flouring the top if needed to avoid sticking to the rolling pin. Using cookie cutters, cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until sandy in color and just being to brown around the edges. Don’t overbake them. Cool in the pan set on a wire rack.
- Make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk, salt, extract, and vodka (or water) until smooth. It helps to do this in a large, kind of shallow bowl so you have room to dip the cookie tops. Dot a few drops of liquid food coloring on the surface of the icing. Use a toothpick to make a few loops and swirls.
- Dip the top of a cookie into the icing and rotate it around 90 degrees before lifting the cookie straight up. You should have a fun, whirly, organic design. Place the cookie on a wire rack for the icing to set. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Makes 36-ish cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.