Slice-and-Bake Shortbread

Makes: about 24 cookies Total Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

• 1 cup salted butter (room temp)

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 2 cups flour

• 1/2 cup sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions:

1. Add the butter to the bowl of a stand mixer, and sift in the powdered sugar. Cream these two ingredients together.

2. Add in the salt, vanilla, and flour. Mix until fully combined.

3. Pour the dough out onto a long piece of cling wrap (around 18 inches long) and form a cylinder about 2-3 inches thick and around 12 inches long. The cookies won't spread much in the oven, so make the round of the cylinder about the size of cookie you'd like.

4. Wrap the log of dough up and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°.

6. Remove the dough from the freezer and slice it into 1/2 inch slices.

7. Optionally, once the dough has thawed a few minutes, roll the side of each cookie in sanding sugar.

8. Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are just turning golden brown.

9. Enjoy your slice-and-bake shortbread!