Makes 5 dozen rectangular-shaped cookies
Prepare this simple, five-ingredient dough in a food processor, and roll it out between sheets of parchment. Using parchment helps the short dough to hold its shape and stick together without introducing any more flour. Score the cookies into rectangular fingers before baking. Once they finish baking, score them again. You'll have some with irregular edges; serve them to the children or stash them away for yourself.
| 3 | cups flour |
| ⅔ | cup sugar |
| ½ | teaspoon salt |
| 1½ | cups (2½ sticks) butter |
| Extra flour (for shaping) | |
| Cinnamon-sugar made by mixing ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon with 1 tablespoon sugar |
1. Have on hand 2 large baking sheets and a long straight-bladed chef's knife.
2. In a food processor, pulse the flour, ⅔ cup sugar, salt, and butter until it forms a dough.
3. On a lightly floured counter, turn out the dough and shape it into 2 round disks. Place each disk between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Roll a disk until it is ¼ inch thick. Do the same with the other disk. Transfer both to baking sheets. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Advertisement
4. Set the oven at 325 degrees.
5. Working with 1 disk of dough at a time, peel off and discard the top sheet (leaving the bottom sheet in place). Let the dough sit for 5 minutes. Using the knife to mark the dough, make vertical cuts about ¾ inch apart, and horizontal cuts 3 inches apart. You should make about 30 rectangles that are ¾ by 3 inches. Repeat with other piece of dough.
6. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar lightly over the dough.
7. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center is firm and the cookies are lightly browned. Use the knife to cut the cookies where you marked them. Transfer the cookies on the parchment sheets to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Karoline Boehm Goodnick