sunny butter cookies.

These little cookies are just right for Winter Solstice. The orange yolks and golden butter make the cookies a rich color - nice and sunny. We used sun and moon cookie cutters.

ingredients:
3 c leveled all-purpose flour
1 c confectioners' sugar
1 c (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut in pieces
1/2 tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
Egg wash, (optional): 1 large egg white, beaten with 2 tsp water
Decorating sugar (decorating, cane, turbinado or demerara all would work)

directions:

Put the flour, sugar, butter, and salt in the food processor and process until mixture is the texture of coarse meal.

In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks and vanilla together. Then, with motor running, add it to the mixture in the food processor. Process just until a dough forms.

Preheat oven to 350º.

For rolled cookies: Divide dough in half; form into two 1/2-inch-thick disks. Wrap in plastic; chill until it is firm, at least 1 hour.

• When chilled - On a piece of floured waxed paper, roll out a disk and using floured cutters cut dough into your shapes and transfer to baking sheets. Re-chill rolled-out dough if difficult to work with. To decorate the cookies - brush with egg wash, then sprinkle with sugar crystals.

For sliced cookies: Divide dough in half; form into two logs. Wrap in plastic; chill until it is firm, at least 1 hour.

• When chilled, remove dough from wrapper. Brush on egg wash, and roll dough in sugar crystals. Using a sharp knife, cut slices from the roll every 1/4-1/2". Place rounds on cookie sheet-brush the wash on the top of the cookie for a glaze, if desired.

(We made 2 disks and 1 roll with our batch)

Bake until edges are firm (not brown), 15 to 18 minutes. Cool 1 to 2 minutes on the baking sheets, and then cool completely on wire racks.


Isn't the color amazing? Using local eggs with the super intense orange yolks and the most creamy yellow local butter just made these cookies POP. And they are so good-they melt in your mouth.