Recipe(tried): Butter cookies (repost)

Jan ~ I wonder if this might be the recipe you want...

Title:Recipe(tried): butter cookies and variation
Posted By: Michelle, Australia
Date: April 6th 1999
In Reply to: ISO: scones
Board: A Board For Bakers

Butter cookies

((The mother of all butter cookies))

Time: about 30 min or more if cookies are baked in
batches

1 3/5 cu all purpose flour
3/5 c. cornstarch
3/5 c. sugar pinch salt
2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 t. vanilla extract 1 egg
3/5 c. milk, approx.

Preheat oven to 190C. Combine flour, cornstarch,
sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse once
or twice. Add butter, and pulse 10 or 20 times, until
butter and flour are well combined. Add vanilla and
egg and pulse 3 or 4 times.

Add about half the milk and pulse 2 or 3 times. Add
the remaining milk a little at a time, pulsing once or
twice after each addition, until the dough holds
together in a sticky mass.

Remove the dough from the machine to one or
more bowls. You can make cookies from the
variations below.

To make cookies, drop rounded teaspoons of
dough (you can make the cookies larger or smaller,
if you like) onto a non-stick baking sheet, a sheet
lined with parchment paper or a lightly buttered
sheet.

If you want flat cookies, press the balls down a bit
with your fingers or the back of a spatula or wooden
spoon. Bake 11 min, or until the cookies are done
as you like them. Cool on a rack, then store, if
necessary, in a covered container.
Yield: about 4 dz. Cookies.

Variations on the flavour of these butter cookies are
limitless

* Butterscotch cookies: Substitute brown sugar for
half or more of the white sugar, or simply add 1
tablespoon of molasses along with the egg.

* Citrus cookies: Omit the vanilla, and add 1
tablespoon of lemon or orange juice and 2
teaspoons grated lemon or orange rind along with
the egg. A couple of tablespoons of poppy seeds
can also be added.

* Chocolate chip cookies: Stir in about 1 cup of
chocolate chips. (The butterscotch variation is good
with chocolate chips.)

* Other chunky cookies:
To the finished batter, add about 1 cup of M&Ms (or
similar candy), roughly chopped walnut, dried
cherries or cranberries. Or combine any chunky
ingredients you like.

*Spice cookies: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon,
1teaspoon each ground all-spice and ground ginger
and 1 pinch ground cloves and mace or nutmeg to
the dry ingredients.
Or you can make rolled cookies by freezing the
dough for 15 min or refrigerating it for at least 1
hour.
Working half the dough at a time, roll it out on a
lightly floured surface; the dough will absorb some
flour at first bit will soon become less sticky. Do
not add more flour than necessary.
Roll about 1 inch thick, and cut with cookie cutters;
decorate as you like. Bake as above, reducing the
cooking time to 8-10 min.