When I was a young baker and just learning, I practiced my newfound skills with this simple recipe. Refrigerator cookies—what could be easier than that? What makes these cookies so great is that you can keep the dough at the ready in the fridge or freezer, slice it, and bake the cookies for only 10 minutes, making them as good as their name. Give them a go, and you’ll see what I mean. The dough keeps in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Makes 16 cookies
1 In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until soft and light in color.
2 Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3 Add the flour and baking powder and mix to combine.
4 Shape the dough into a log roughly 8 inches long and wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Roll it back and forth to create a sausage shape 2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.
5 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
6 Slice the chilled dough into ½-inch-thick rounds and place them on the prepared cookie sheets. Leave some space between the cookies, as they’ll spread during baking.
7 Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8 Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.