Name: Slice-and-Bake Cookies
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Ingredients: 1/3 cup (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , cut into pieces and softened; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 large egg yolk; 1 1/2 cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour

Why This Recipe Works

Having slice-and-bake cookie dough in the refrigerator or freezer is great, because you can bake whenever the mood strikes. But because these simple cookie recipes have so few basic ingredients, imperfections are impossible to hide. With too much flour, the cookies are crisp but dry and bland; go overboard with butter, sugar, or egg and the cookies are rich but soft and misshapen. We set out to create a slice-and-bake cookie recipe that would combine both crispness and rich butter and vanilla flavor—in effect, shortbread shaped into a convenient slice-and-bake log. Using both granulated sugar and light brown sugar gave the cookies a richness and complexity that tasters liked. We used the food processor to combine our recipe ingredients quickly without whipping in too much air—our Slice-and-Bake Cookies had the dense shortbread-like texture we were after.

Before You Begin

Be sure that the cookie dough is well chilled and firm so that it can be uniformly sliced.

Instructions

Process sugars and salt in food processor until no lumps of brown sugar remain, about 30 seconds. Add butter, vanilla, and yolk and process until smooth and creamy, about 20 seconds. Scrape down sides of workbowl, add flour, and pulse until dough forms.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and roll into 10-inch log. Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. (Dough can be wrapped in foil and frozen for up to 1 month.)

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice chilled dough into 1/4-inch rounds and place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until edges are just golden, about 15 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cool 10 minutes on sheets, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. (Cookies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)