1-2-3 Butter Cookies

It really is that simple, I promise. 

1-2-3 Butter Cookies

100g icing or castor sugar

200g butter, cold and cubed small

300g plain flour

1. Preheat the oven at 130 Celsius. Line a baking tray or two with baking paper.  
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar for 2 minutes.
3. Fold in flour gently by hand until just incorporated.
4. Chill dough for 15 - 20 minutes.
5. Remove from refridgerator. Divide dough into two. Put one half back in to chill.
6. Place the other half of dough between two plastic sheets and roll out about 4 - 5mm thick.
7. Working quickly but surely, cut into your favourite shapes using a biscuit cutter. Place shapes on prepared baking tray.
8. Once the first half of the dough is used up, take out the remaining half and do the same until all the dough is used up. (You may need 2 baking trays if your shapes are larger)
9. Place tray in the oven and increase the temperature to 150 Celsius.
10. Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until the bottom edges start browning slightly.
11. Remove from oven. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
12. Store in an airtight container.

Note:

• The actual recipe comes from a magazine cut-out which was given to me a long time ago. I cannot remember which magazine it came from as it was already cut-out when passed to me. If anyone of you knows where it is from, please let me know as I would like to give the magazine due credit. I have also adapted the method to suit my own style of mixing biscuit dough.
• I used icing sugar instead of castor for a finer texture.
• I used unsalted butter in this batch and missed the salt terribly. Lesson learnt. I will use salted butter next time, or add in 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt. Yes, I have two feet firmly planted in the I-like-using-salted-butter-to-bake-for-better-flavour camp.
• I made an orange-poppyseed flavoured biscuit with 1 tablespoon orange blossom water, 1 tablespoon poppyseeds and the grated zest of 1 orange.
• For a vanilla biscuit, add in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence or seeds scrapped from a vanilla pod at the creaming stage.
• This is a versatile dough. You can flavour it any way you like.