Sugar Cookie Recipe

This is one of many sugar cookie recipes that are available. These are crunchy biscuits and you can add chopped nuts or coconut for variety.

Always bake equally sized cookies together to make sure that they cook at the same time.

Method

• Pre heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
  

• Grease two or three baking trays.
  

• Sift the flour, salt and cornflour (cornstarch) into a bowl.
  

• Add the butter or margarine and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  

• Stir in the sugar.
  

• Beat the egg and vanilla essence together.
  

• Add this to the dry ingredients and mix to form a fairly soft dough, add a little milk if necessary.
  

• Knead lightly, then wrap in foil and chill in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  

• Turn the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface. Using two 5mm (¼ inch) guide sticks roll out to an even thickness.
  

• Cut into desired shapes about 6 cm (2½ inches) in diameter and place on the baking trays.
  

• Chill again for another 30 minutes.

• Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until light and golden brown.
  

• Leave to cool on wire racks.

Variations

For lemon cookies, add finely grated zest of 1 lemon.

For orange cookies, add finely grated zest of 1 orange.

For chocolate cookies, replace 50g of the flour with 50g of cocoa powder.

For nutty flavor ad 25-40g (1- 1½ oz) of very finely chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds) to the dry ingredients and about 1 teaspoon of milk.

For a coconut flavor add 25g (1 oz) of desiccated (shredded) coconut to the dry ingredients and about 1 teaspoon of milk.