Baby Buttons

• Recipe by Lisa Ritter

These buttery, almost weightless cookies are a fixture at Big Sugar events. “We love to offer them in small, ribbon-tied gift packages for favors at bridal and baby showers,” Lisa Ritter says. And because of their relatively low sugar content, “people who don’t normally love sweets are delighted with these.”

Ingredients

1. 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2. 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3. 1/2 cup cornstarch
4. 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, pulse the butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners’ sugar until combined. Add the cornstarch, vanilla and flour and process until a soft dough forms. Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into 4 equal pieces.
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece of dough into a 12-inch rope. Cut each rope into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. Transfer the balls to the baking sheet; they won’t spread much. Bake the cookies on the center rack of the oven for about 22 minutes, until the bottoms are golden but the tops are still pale.
3. Sift the remaining 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar into a bowl. Add 12 warm cookies to the bowl at a time and toss to coat. Transfer the cookies to a clean baking sheet. While the cookies are still warm, poke 4 shallow holes into each one with a toothpick or skewer to make a buttonhole pattern. Let the cookies cool completely before serving or storing.

Make Ahead

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.