Fool Proof Sugar Cookies

These cookies were made for Valentines Day.  I had tried another recipe before settling on this one.  The first recipe was such a disaster that the cookies and the cookbook BOTH went into the garbage.  I wasn't taking any chances of trying anything from that cookbook again.  How do some of these books get published??  You really have to wonder.
After trying that new recipe I decided to go back to my favorite cookbook - The Doubleday Cookbook.  This cookbook was originally published in 1975.  Over 40 years ago.  Doesn't matter...it's still my favorite and the one that I have gotten the most successful recipes from.  It's like my baking bible!  Never had a bad recipe come out of this book!

These are called Sand Tarts but they are very much like a good basic sugar cookie and a wonderful dough to work with.  I think you will like them if you try them.

2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups sifted flour

Cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy; beat in egg, then vanilla.  Mix in flour and salt
, one third at a time, beating just to blend.  Wrap dough and chill 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Roll a small amount of dough at a time to 1/8" thick and cut with a 2" round (or whatever shape desired) cookie cutter.  Arrange 1" apart on greased baking sheets, brush with egg white and sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles.  Bake 8 - 10 minute until pale golden.  Cool on wire racks.