Step 1

If I know I’ll be baking, I pull my unsalted butter out of the fridge the night before to get to room temp. But if you’re baking spontaneously, no worries, just zap your butter in the microwave on half-power for about 12 seconds.

Step 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 3

I use parchment paper sheets on my cookie sheets and reuse them for all my batches that day.

Step 4

In your mixer bowl (or large bowl with hand-mixer) cream butter and 1 cup (200 g) sugar until smooth, at least 2 minutes

Step 5

Beat in vanilla and egg

Step 6

In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, salt and flour. Add to wet ingredient mixing bowl a little at a time.

Step 7

Mix until thoroughly blended.

Step 8

For crispest stamping designs, chill dough for at least 3 hours.

Step 9

Roll dough into balls slightly larger than golf ball size.

Step 10

Roll dough balls in granulated sugar

Step 11

Using cookie stamp, center over ball and push down until dough starts to squeeze out around stamp. Slowly lift/remove stamp.

Step 12

If desired, trim any excess dough around the stamped design.

Step 13

Bake at 350 for 12-13 minutes.

Step 14

Cool cookies on cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to cooling rack.