Danish Salted Butter Cookies

Notes

Using chilled butter and freezing the cookies before baking encourages clean, tidy edges. Cutting the cookie shape is easy with a 3-inch-diameter and a 1½-inch-diameter fluted cookie cutter. This dough can be made 1 month ahead and frozen. Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled salted butter, cut into pieces
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more
• 1 cup white sanding sugar

Directions

1. Combine butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl.
2. Scrape in vanilla seeds and discard pod.
3. Mix on high speed, until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
4. Beat in 1 egg.
5. Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in 2 cups flour.
6. Form dough into a ¾"-thick disk.
7. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours. 

8. Let disk of dough sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
9. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, repositioning and dusting with flour to keep from sticking, until about ¼" thick.

10. Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°.
11. Punch out rounds with large cutter; punch out centers with smaller cutter.
12. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1½" apart.
13. Pat scraps into a ¾"-thick disk. Chill 15 minutes.

14. Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of water.
15. Brush cookies with egg wash.
16. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
17. Freeze 10 minutes.
18. Bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until edges are golden brown, 10–15 minutes.
19. Transfer to wire racks; let cool.
20. Repeat with scraps and remaining egg wash and sanding sugar.