From the William & Sonoma website.   The cookies have nice straight edges and can be rolled to several thicknesses with good results.  Great for frosting and decorating.  The cookies in the illustration are tiny – 1/16″ thick and I used a 1 inch cookie cutter and the dough handled beautifully which is this particular cookie recipe’s biggest asset.

Ingredients:                        

1. 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2. ¼ teaspoon. baking powder
3. ¼ teaspoon salt
4. ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom*
5. ¾ cup unsalted butter
6. ¾ cup sugar
7. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8. 1 egg
9. *cardamom optional

Directions:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt & cardamom into a bowl and set aside.
2. In a bowl beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Beat the vanilla and egg.
4. Reduce the speed of the mixer and add the flour in three additions scrapping the bowl down each times.
5. Divide the dough in half, form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight. 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to the desired thickness.

Ball up scraps and continue cutting out cookies.

Cookies can be rolled out to:

1/16^” thick and cut with a small 1” cutter – bake 6-7 minutes.

1/8” thick and cut with medium 2”cookie cutter – bake 9-10 minutes.

¼” thick and cut with a large 3”cutter – bake 12-14 minutes.

Transfer pans to cooling racks for 5 minutes and then remove from pan and continue cooling on racks.

Decorate with royal icing.