This past weekend an old friend told me I was a Spice Girl.  (He had been holding that joke in for a long time and couldn’t wait to blurt it out.) So which Spice Girl am I?  While you’re pondering, bake some cookies for the holiday.  Here is one of my favorite cookie recipes.  No bells or whistles – but use your best butter, great salt and restraint.

Dorie Greenspan’s Butter Sables

 Cookies:

8 oz unsalted high fat butter, like Plugra, softened at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

½ tsp Kosher or sea salt

2 egg yolks

2 cups all purpose flour

Decoration:

1 egg, beaten

decorative crystal sugar

Slowly beat butter so it’s smooth and creamy.  Add sugars and salt and gently beat again.  Add yolks. Beat at a slow speed until well combined.

Add all of the flour and beat in until just combined. Shape dough into 2 logs about 1” round and wrap in wax paper. Chill for an hour or two. Can be frozen up to one month.

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line cookie sheet with parchment or silpat.

Brush log with beaten egg and generously sprinkle with crystal sugar.  Slice into 1/4” thick rounds and place on cookie sheet. Bake 18 minutes. Cookies should be pale golden, not brown.

makes 2 dozen.