Tooth Cookies

It's not every day that one's stepdaughter graduates with a Bachelor's Degree in Dental Hygiene. We are so proud of her! This weekend's barbecue in her honor included these delicious sugar cookies ... the ONE time when the bright yellow color of our local eggs may not play to best advantage! Still, these probably look better than chocolate teeth cookies would have, an idea nixed by Mr. Eating the Scenery.

Actually, the title of this blog came from my stepdaughter. Years ago, when her brother was eyeing the kale garnish on his plate in a restaurant, she told him, "Don't eat that--it's just scenery." Thus are family legends, and blog titles, born.

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TOOTH COOKIES
Adapted from Epicurious.com

This dough really rolls and re-rolls nicely.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup organic sugar (original called for packed brown sugar; not a tooth color, I thought)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add 2-1/3 cups of the flour, then scatter the baking powder, salt and nutmeg over the flour. Beat until mixed.

Spread 1/3 cup flour over a kneading surface, and knead it into the dough for about 1 minute. Add flour if the dough is too wet. The dough will be soft.

Flatten dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle. Cut into four equal pieces, wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours. If chilled longer, let soften a bit at room temperature.

Roll one piece of dough 1/8-inch thick, making sure to dust the dough with flour and turn it a time or two. Cut cookies, place on baking sheets (I used a Silpat; otherwise you may wish to use parchment) and bake for 10-11 minutes at 350 degrees or until cookies begin to show a little browning. Remove from oven, and let rest on baking sheets 5 minutes before placing cookies on cooling racks or paper towels.

Reroll scraps, blending them in with new dough you take from the fridge one piece at a time. Roll, cut, repeat.

When cooled, cookies may be stored between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature.

Made about 16 4" x 6" cookies; will make more if the cookies are smaller, obviously!