Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Put the softened butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Stir with a sturdy spoon for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture looks creamy and a little lighter. You don't need a mixer, but you do want the sugar worked into the butter.
- Stir in the salt and vanilla, if using. The vanilla is nice, but these cookies still work without it. Skip the fancy stuff here if the pantry is bare.
- Add the flour in two additions. Stir after the first half until it looks sandy, then add the rest and keep stirring until the dough starts clumping together. It may look dry at first. Keep pressing it against the side of the bowl.
- Use your hands to gently gather the dough into a ball. If it refuses to hold together after a minute of pressing, add 1 teaspoon of milk or water. Just one. Too much liquid makes the cookies spread and turn tough.
- Scoop level tablespoons of dough and roll them into small balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each one with the bottom of a glass until about 1/3 inch thick.
- Sprinkle the tops with the extra sugar. For a prettier top, press the sugared glass lightly onto each cookie once more. You should see a few tiny cracks around the edges, and that's fine.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are set and just barely golden. The tops will still look pale. Don't wait for them to brown all over, or they'll taste dry instead of buttery.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 8 minutes. They firm up as they sit. Move them to a rack and cool completely before storing.
Notes
Use softened butter, not melted butter. Spoon and level the flour to avoid crumbly cookies. Watch the edges instead of the tops, since the tops stay pale. Let the cookies cool on the pan so they firm up. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.