Soft and Buttery Sugar Cookies

KTJane's Note:

This simple yet divine recipe was handed down to me by my grandmother many years ago. It has a unique dough produces a soft, tender, buttery, yet crispy cookie that melts in your mouth. I will say that high-quality butter, vanilla, eggs, and flour will make a big difference in the taste, as subpar quality will show through with such mild flavors at play. This makes a large batch of 3 dozen or so, and can easily be halved. Enjoy!

• Total Time: 4 hrs 39 mins
• Prep Time: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Cook Time: 9 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 18

Yield: 36.0 cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup vegetable oil (canola or safflower works best, but any mild-flavored variety will do)
• 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup more for dipping
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract (high quality is best, avoid imitation vanilla)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 for convection ovens).
2. Beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until fluffy (1-2 minutes). Add the oil, eggs, and vanilla and beat for another minute.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
4. Slowly mix in flour mixture in two parts, on low until dough is just combined.
5. Form dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight (this will make for a much flakier, tender texture, and gives time for the flavors to meld and mature. It will also make the dough much easier to handle).
6. Cut off sections of dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet spaced apart 2-3 inches.
7. Coat the base of a flat-bottomed glass in a thin smear of butter and dip in granulated sugar. Gently press the glass onto each dough ball until approximately 1/4 " thick (can be pressed thinner, which produces a slightly crisper, more delicate cookie).
8. Bake on rack in bottom third of oven and bake for 9-11 minutes. Light cookie sheets work best, but if using a dark cookie sheet, adjust oven temp to 325 and begin checking for doneness after 8 minutes or so. Cookies are done when they are *just* starting to darken slightly around the edges. (Try not to overcook--this may produce a "burnt butter" taste. Err on the side of underdone.).
9. Move promptly to cooling rack for 10 minutes before eating or storing. Enjoy!