Cribbed from a popular NYT recipe, these cookies are simple — and perfect for any occasion. I like to change the sugar color to reflect a certain holiday or event but my daughter likes to use mini chocolate chips instead of sugar which is also delicious. The shaped logs can be refrigerated up to a week, so I slice and bake just before guests arrive. Try them!
Yields 3 dozen cookies.
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
- 1 to 2 large egg yolks
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (see Tip)
For finishing
- 1 large egg white, beaten
- ½ cup decorative sugar (or as my daughter recommends: mini chips)
Directions
- Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Beat on low speed until incorporated and smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes. (Do not beat until fluffy, you don’t need to incorporate air into the dough.) Add the egg yolk and mix until just combined. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour to the bowl all at once and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer speed to low and beat until flour is fully incorporated, scraping the bowl again if needed, about 30 seconds. The dough will be in large crumbles.
- Form the dough into two 9-inch logs. (If the dough is too crumbly to form into a log, mix in an additional egg yolk.) Wrap each log firmly in a strip of parchment paper and twist the ends shut. Refrigerate until the dough is firm enough to slice, about 30 minutes and up to 3 days.
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Brush the surface of each log all over with the egg white. Sprinkle a sheet of parchment paper with the decorative sugar and roll the log in the sugar to completely coat. Slice each log into ½-inch rounds. Lay the rounds on the prepared baking sheet, spacing at least ½ inch apart.
- Bake until the cookies are golden at the bottom edges, rotating once halfway through baking, 18 to 22 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The baked cookies can also be stored frozen in an airtight container for up to 10 days. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Tip
- If using volume measurements, using a spoon, fluff and scoop the flour into a measuring cup, then scrape with a straight edge to level the surface. This will help prevent adding too much flour which can yield overly crumbly dough.