A very simple and easy cookie recipe, also known as the refrigerator cookies.
You can even keep a roll of the dough in the refrigerator ready to make a batch of cookies at a moment's notice.
Ingredients
225 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
100 g butter or margarine
175 g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, beaten
Method
1 Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Rub in the butter or margerine until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add the sugar and stir until evenly combined.
2 Add the vanilla and egg and mix to a smooth dough with a wooden spoon.
3 Turn the dough onto a large sheet of foil and shape into a long roll about five cm in diameter. Wrap in the foil and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
4 Slice the roll very thinly into as many cookies as required. ( The remainder of the roll can be wrapped and refrigerate for up a week)
5 Place the cookies well apart on a buttered baking sheet. Bake in the oven at 190°C for 10-12 minutes until golden.
6 Leave the cookies to settle on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave cool completely. Store in an airtight tin.
The above is the basic dough. You can add variations :-
Walnut – add 50 g very finely shopped walnuts with the sugar in step 1.
Sultana – add 50 g very finely chopped sultanas with the sugar in step 1.
Chocolate – add 50 g very finely grated plain chocolate with the sugar in step 1.
Spicy – omit the vanilla and sift in 2 tsp ground mixed spice with the flour in step 1.
Ginger – omit the vanilla and sift in 1½ tsp ground ginger with the flour in step 1.
Lemon – omit the vanilla and add the finely grated rind of 1 lemon with the sugar in step 1.
Orange – omit the vanilla and add the finely grated rind of 1 orange with the sugar in step 1.
Enjoy !!
