Ingredients

The following ingredients have 16 Servings
  • 8 ounces good quality salted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • sprinkles, sparkling sugar, holly leaf decorations (optional)

Instruction

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together.  Add vanilla, flour, and salt and mix until a crumbly dough forms.  Add the milk and mix until the dough comes together.
  • Transfer the dough to a large piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log shape about 16 inches long.  Chill for one hour.
  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Roll the dough log in sprinkles or sparkling sugar if desired (so the edges of finished cookies will be decorated).  With a sharp knife, cut the dough log in half so there are two 8 inch pieces.  Rewrap one portion and place and chill until ready to use.  Slice the remaining portion into 1/2 inch disks, placing each one on an unlined, ungreased baking sheet (16 per sheet).  Reshape individual cookies by hand if they are not round.  If you want to make a wreath shape, cut out a hole in the center of each circle with a large piping tip.  Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven to quickly add holly leaves and berries if desired.  Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes, or until the bottom edges of the cookies are just golden brown.  Bake for a total of 25-26 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.  Repeat slicing and baking with remaining dough.  Store in an airtight container.  These cookies freeze well, up to 3 months.