Butter Cookie Dough

In my baking repertoire, I like to keep standard recipes where I can use them to create different variations. This butter cookie is one of them. The basic recipe is

• one part sugar
• two parts butter
• three parts flour
• pinch of salt
• flavoring such as extracts, freeze dried fruit powder or chopped nuts

I start with cold butter which I cut it into small cubes. I combine the sugar, flour, freeze dried fruit powder (if using) and salt into the mixing bowl. Then I add in the cubed butter. Using the paddle attachment, I start the mixer on the lowest speed until the dough looks like small pieces of pebbles. Next I add in the flavoring and nuts, if using any. At that point I stop the mixer and dump the clumps of dough into a large bowl and I gather the dough and press it together to form a ball. The dough can be rolled into a log or flatten into a disc and wrapped in plastic wrap. I refrigerate the cookie dough for at least and hour or more until the dough is firm. This makes it easier to roll out the dough or or to slice them. You can be as creative as you want to using the dough to make a checkerboard pattern, swirl two flavors and roll them into a log or adding a pattern on top layer of the cookie dough.