Dutch Butter Cookies

• Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking sheet.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the vanilla and the egg, and mix until just combined. It's ok if it doesn't quite come together at this point. Add the flour all at once, and mix until combined. Don't over mix — the dough will be a soft playdough-like consistency.
• Split the dough into as many shapes as you'd like to make. The classic tins come with 5, I made 3, with directions below. What you make is up to you, they all follow the same general guidelines.

Rings (pictured)

• Put one portion of your dough in a piping bag with a star tip and pipe into a circle onto your baking sheet, about 1.5-2" wide. Make sure your piped ring meets up with the start so the cookie doesn't come apart. let firm in the fridge for 30 min – 1 hour.

Circles

• Shape the dough into a rough log onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and then wrap it up and roll it into a tight log of dough, roughly 2" wide. Let it firm in the fridge for 30 min – 1 hour. Once firm, carefully remove the plastic wrap and use a sharp knife to slice the dough into circles, roughly 1/4" thick. Place onto a baking sheet.

Pretzels

• Put the dough in a piping bag and snip off the tip, make sure not to go wider than roughly 1/2". Pipe the dough into a pretzel shape onto the lined baking sheet. Do your best to make sure the thickness stays consistent, or else parts of the cookie will burn if it's too thin. Let firm in the fridge for 30 min – 1 hour.
• After you've made your shapes and let them firm up, preheat the oven to 400°F. Sprinkle the circles with coarse sugar (optional). Bake the cookies for 7-8 min, until just starting to brown at the edges.
• Enjoy!