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
- Combine butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl.
- Scrape in vanilla seeds and discard pod.
- Mix on high speed, until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Beat in 1 egg.
- Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in 2 cups flour.
- Form dough into a ¾"-thick disk.
- Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
- Let disk of dough sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
- Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, shifting often on sheet and dusting with more flour as needed to keep from sticking, until about ¼" thick.
- Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°.