Gold Medal Cookies

Preparation:

Special equipment:

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of premium flour (scoop with a spoon) + extra for working with the dough
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 220 g unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs (2 lightly beaten, 1 whole)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Yellow food coloring to tint the egg mixture
• 1/4 cup yellow decorative sugar

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in 2 beaten eggs and vanilla extract.
2. Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture, 1 cup at a time. Divide the dough into 2 pieces and flatten them into neat rectangles about 2 cm thick. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
3. Position a rack on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
4. Working with one piece of dough at a time, remove it from the refrigerator and let it soften for about 10 minutes. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper to a thickness of 0.5 cm. Cut out 7.5-8 cm circles from the dough and place them on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them at least 4 cm apart. Repeat with the second piece of dough, gathering and re-rolling any scraps as needed.
5. To make the cookies look like medals, press a small glass, about 6 cm wide, onto each circle, pressing it halfway down the dough. Freeze the cookies on baking sheets for 20 minutes. This will help preserve the imprinted circles when baking.
6. Combine the remaining egg with 6 drops of yellow food coloring and 1 teaspoon of water. Beat with a fork.
7. Using a wide drinking straw or the tip of a sharp knife, cut a circle or rectangle wide enough to thread a ribbon through the top of each cookie. Working with 2-3 cookies at a time, lightly brush the circles with beaten egg (avoiding the fingerprints) and sprinkle with decorative sugar. Lightly tap each cookie on the counter to shake off excess sugar (the frozen dough will be firm enough to tap).
8. Bake the cookies until they are set and the edges are just beginning to darken, 14 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
9. Transfer the cookie sheet to a wire rack and let cool completely. If the ribbon holes have closed slightly, simply widen them with a knife while the cookies are still warm. Thread the ribbon through each cookie and tie the ends.