Classic Swirled Butter Cookies by Sophie Bakas

Ingredients

• 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 140g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 280g (2 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
• 30ml (2 tbsp) milk, room temperature

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and salt until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the egg yolks and the scraped seeds from the vanilla bean to the butter mixture. Mix until well combined.
3. Gradually stir in the all-purpose flour until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix.
4. Pour in the room temperature milk and gently mix until the dough just comes together. It will be soft.
5. Transfer the dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star or round tip.
6. Pipe the dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper in desired round or swirled shapes. Leave about 1 inch between cookies as they will spread slightly.
7. Bake in the preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
8. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.