getting my ducks in a row

This Saturday, The SIL is hosting a baby shower for Her SIL, and I jumped at the chance to make a few things for the party.  The following are on this week's to-bake list: Iced Duck Butter Cookies, Tea Bag Cookies, Linzer Cookies and Lemon Bars.

Today, I started on the Ducks.  I like the Rolled Butter Cookies Recipe from Cook's Illustrated. For a very long time, I used a recipe from Debbie Field's - aka Mrs. Fields- book, and always found them tasty but brittle.  The solution for America's Test Kitchen is to add an egg yolk to the mix. Fantastic, buttery, delicious.  I'll be icing later this week.

Rolled Butter Cookies
from Cook's Illustrated

1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar, or granulated sugar processed in food processor for 30 seconds
1/2 t. salt
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 t. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus extra for work surface

With electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add yolk, beat well, add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well incorporated.  Add flour; beat at low speed until flour is just mixed in.  Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.  (Can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen 1 month.)

Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower- middle positions and heat oven to 375ºF.  Remove one disk of dough from refrigerator and cut in half.  Return unused portion of dough to refrigerator.

Lightly flour work surface; roll dough to 1/8 inch thick, using thin metal spatula to loosen dough.  Cut dough into desired shape.  Place dough shapes 1/2 inch apart on parchment or Silpat-lined cookie sheets.  Bake, reversing cookie sheets (from top to bottom and back to front) halfway through baking time, until evenly golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.  Using a spatula, immediately transfer cookies to cooling rack.  Cool to room temperature.  Repeat rolling, cutting and baking remaining dough.  Store in airtight container (can be stored up to 3 weeks).