Step 1

Preheat oven to Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 & 1/4 cups (10 ounces) of room temperature butter in a mixing bowl and cream together with a hand mixer on medium-low speed.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, beat 3 egg yolks and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together.

Step 3

Add vanilla egg mixture to creamed sugar and butter and mix until combined.

Step 4

Add 2 & 1/2 cups flour (a 1/4 cup at a time) to the wet mixture until a sticky, thick dough forms.

Step 5

Then, add 1/4 cup of milk and mix on medium-low speed until combined.

Step 6

Add a teaspoon at a time of additional milk until your dough mixture is the consistency of Play-Doh. (I used 2 tablespoons of additional milk total.)

Step 7

Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper and test your cookie dough. Test your cookie dough consistency by adding only 1/4 cup of dough to your piping bag at first. If it’s still too thick to pipe, put the dough back in the bowl and add another teaspoon of milk, mix, and try again.

Step 8

Chill the piped/shaped cookies for 5-10 minutes in the refrigerator before baking to ensure they hold their shape.

Step 9

Bake the chilled cookies for 15 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. This is a dense cookie, so I don’t recommend underbaking or going for the soft center you’d want with a chewy cookie.

Step 10

While your cookies are fresh out of the oven, sprinkle 1/4 cup sanding sugar or additional granulated sugar on top to give it a sparkly, festive look and added texture.