Makes 50 to 60 cookies, depending cookie cutter sizes.
Active time: To mix dough, about 20 minutes; each sheet takes about 13 to 15 minutes in the oven.
Ingredients:
¾ pound butter (three sticks), softened
3 cups sugar
8 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Decoration: 1 or 2 eggs (using whites and/or yolks); tinted sugars; or, finely chopped nuts mixed with sugar
Preparation:
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter until lighter in color. Add the sugar; mix butter and sugar until well combined. Add egg yolks and mix until combined. Slowly add dry ingredients. Mix on low speed until most of the flour is integrated. Do not over mix. You may need to mix in the last additions of flour by hand using a wooden spoon.
Gather dough into a ball and divide into 4 disks. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour. You can refrigerate dough longer or even overnight, but the dough will need to come back almost to room temperature to roll out.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough to about 3/8ths of an inch. Re-combine and re-roll scraps.
Place cut out cookies on unbuttered cookie sheets. Decorate cookies: (1) Brush tops of cookies with lightly beaten whole egg or egg yolk and sprinkle with tinted sugar. Or (2) brush tops with lightly beaten egg whites mixed with a little sugar, and using a teaspoon, drop the finely chopped nuts, pre-mixed with a little sugar, onto center of cookies.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, depending on cookie sizes. Edges should slightly golden but not brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes on baking pan and the transfer to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container.
Ruth's Christmas Cookies 