Maria Mannherz's Ausstecherle (little cut-out cookies)

Ingredients

• 2 c. (1 lb, 4 sticks) butter
• 2 c. (1 lb.) sugar
• 7 large egg yolks (reserve 1 white for glazing cookies)
• 1/2 c. sour cream (can substitute 2 whole eggs)
• 8 c. (2 lb., 1 box) cake flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder

Directions

Do not double this recipe.

Cream the butter until very light. Add sugar; cream butter and sugar until combined. Add egg yolks and sour cream and beat until combined.

Slowly add flour and baking powder (even with the pouring shield on my mixer, I still get flour all over the table if I add too quickly). Mix on low speed until dough is uniform. Refrigerate until cold (about one or two hours).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out some dough to about 3/8 of an inch thick. Refrigerate remaining dough. Cut cookies and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with egg white or beaten whole egg. Bake 15 minutes until golden; watch carefully!

Notes: If you use jumbo eggs or are baking in a hot, humid (i.e. Florida) kitchen, reduce yolks to 6.

A stand mixer works best. Most hand mixers don't have the power to work with this much cookie dough. If using a hand mixer, add the last bit of flour by hand.