Susan Branch's Butter Cookies - the Best (Really)

carrie sheridan's Note:

I remember these from 36 years ago--they're That Good. And you can use 3 of the egg whites to make Chocolate Meringue Cookies that I've also posted, that are outstanding and memorable!

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 20

Yield: 6.0 dozen

• 2 cups unsalted butter , softened (Kerry Irish Gold)
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 ½ cups unbleached flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. With an electric mixer (even the hand-held kind), cream together the butter and the sugar.
3. Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix well.
4. Sift flour and salt together, shaking back and forth in a fine sieve.
5. Beat into the butter mixture until well-mixed.
6. When ready to bake, use an ungreased cookie sheet and place the cookies 1 inch apart.
7. Bake for about 10 minutes and DO NOT BROWN THEM.
8. Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet while still warm and cool on sheets of waxed paper.
9. Decorate if you like:.
10. Shape dough into a roll the width of a cookie.
11. Wrap in waved paper and chill.
12. Before baking, roll in chocolate shots.
13. Slice 1/2 inch thick and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350° for 10 minutes. Do Not Brown.

Reviews

[GSD Mom]

Oh boy are these good!!! I made a half recipe and formed the dough into a log to cut and bake the next day. I cut them 1/2 inch thick and baked for about 14 minutes. They were very fragile right out of the oven so I let them cool completely on the cookie sheet which worked out very well. I also used the Kerry Irish Gold butter and these cookies are so good I won't use anything else for fear of ruining them! Thank you for sharing this incredible recipe.