-
1
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
-
2
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
-
3
Add eggs and vanilla, and beat to combine.
-
4
Reduce speed to low.
-
5
Gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined.
-
6
Divide dough in half; flatten each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic.
-
7
Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or overnight).
-
8
Dough can be frozen, wrapped tightly in plastic and placed in a resealable plastic bag, up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
-
9
Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes.
-
10
On a lightly floured work surface (or a piece of parchment paper), roll out dough to just under 1/4 inch thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking.
-
11
Transfer to a baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
-
12
Preheat oven to 350F, with racks in upper and lower thirds.
-
13
Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, quickly cut out shapes from dough (if dough begins to soften, chill in freezer 5 minutes), and transfer shapes to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart, as you work.
-
14
Reroll scraps and cut out more shapes.
-
15
Brush off excess flour.
-
16
Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
-
17
Repeat with remaining disk of dough.
-
18
Bake until edges turn golden, 15 to 18 minutes, firmly tapping down sheets once and rotating them halfway through.
-
19
Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks before decorating as desired.
-
20
Cookies can be stored up to 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container.
