Ingredients:

  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour (spooned and leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened (Room temperature)
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs (Room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In the stand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy—this takes 3–5 minutes.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the bowl.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until a cohesive dough forms. Do not overmix!
  5. Divide the dough in half. Flatten each half into a thick disc, wrap tightly in cling film, and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes (up to 2 days). This prevents spreading.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll one chilled dough disc to an even thickness of ¼ inch (about 6mm).
  8. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Re-roll scraps once, chilling briefly if the dough softens too much.
  9. Arrange cookies on prepared sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them. Bake for 8–12 minutes, until the edges are set and just barely starting to turn pale gold.
  10. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.