The recipe I use originally comes from Nordic Ware. I'm not crazy about almond flavoring, so I use vanilla in mine.
Ingredients:
- 3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 c. powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. almond extract (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 1/2 c. flour
Process:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Using the paddle attachment and a stand mixer, cream together the butter and powdered sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until fluffy. Add the flour and salt, and beat on low speed until well-combined but not longer. Check your dough. If it is sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it isn't sticky anymore. If it's dry and crumbly, add a tablespoon or two of milk until the dough comes together. No need to chill the dough, but if you aren't going to use it right away, you can store it wrapped tightly in the fridge for several days. Let it come to room temperature before using.
Portion the dough into balls about 2 Tbsp. I use a small ice cream scoop for this. You can make the cookies smaller, but they will be flatter when you press them with the stamp. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, a couple of inches apart. Dip your stamp into flour and tap off the excess. Press the stamp straight down in the center of the ball of dough until you just start to see the dough on the sides (that way you know the whole design has been transferred to the dough) and gently lift up, rocking the stamp just slightly as you lift away. If you stamp one and don't like it, no problem, scrape it off the sheet, re-roll the ball, and re-stamp.
Bake cookies 12-14 min, until just starting to turn slightly golden on the edges. Cookies will be very soft when they first come out of the oven. Let them cool slightly on the pan and then gently remove them to a cooling rack. Don't let them fully cool on the pan or they will stick.
