Testing Out New Cookie Recipes

From year to year, I tend to make the same cookies over and over every holiday season.  Guess you call that a cookie "rut."  I wanted to be different this year and "test" out some new cookie recipes.  Every year, the hubby has a cookie exchange at work right before Christmas and he always "volunteers" me to bake a few dozen. Some of the cookies that he brings back home from the cookie exchange are pretty darn amazing and unique. Since butter has been on sale, I decided to make shortbread.  My first attempt last week was okay, but not quite right.  I made some adjustments and tried again. I baked three dozen shortbread stick cookies right before Dominic came home from school this afternoon and the little stinker ate a bunch when my back was turned!! He's pretty sneaky :) There certainly is no shortage of taste testers in this house!!  I found a good recipe for chocolate pinwheels Monday night in the pile of old recipes that belonged to my mother-in-law, so I think that will be the next cookie I "test" out.  When the hubby takes a few dozen cookies for the cookie exchange this year, I want his co-workers to be oohing and aahing about my cookies!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups white flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In large bowl, put the butter and white sugar and mix with large spoon until smooth.  Add the white flour and the vanilla extract and combine until the batter is well mixed.   Roll out dough on a flat surface (like a kitchen counter), to 8 inches wide x 12 inches long. With a knife, slice into 18 rows from top to bottom and then cut in half from left to right, so you have a total of 36 rectangular slices.   Put a dozen slices at a time on an ungreased cookie sheet and then prick with the tines of a fork three or four times on the top of each slice. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are just starting to turn brown.  Cool for five minutes before carefully removing to wire rack.  These shortbread stick cookies are kind of fragile, but boy are they good! Store in covered container at room temperature.