Ingredients
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1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
sugar, for decorating
Preparation
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In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter until fluffy and pale.
Add the sugar in 3 additions, beating on low speed for 2 minutes after each addition.
Beat the egg yolk and vanilla into the butter mixture until well blended.
Sift the flour and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.
Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 4 equal portions.
Shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or for up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees; lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
Remove the dough disks from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out between 2 sheets of waxed paper to a thickness of 1/8 to 1/4 inch.
Using cookie cutters, cut into circles or other shapes.
Repeat with the remaining dough portions, then gather up the scraps and reroll them.
If the scraps of dough have become sticky, refrigerate them for 10 minutes before rerolling.
For best results, do not roll the same dough more than twice.
Using an offset spatula, transfer the cookies to the prepared pans.
Sprinkle with the sugar.
If using intricately shaped cutter, refrigerate the cutout cookies for 15-30 minutes before baking.
Bake the cookies until they are lightly golden on the bottom, 10-12 minutes.
Let the cookies cool briefly on the pans on wire racks before transferring them to the racks to cool completely.
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