Emeril's Butter Cookies & Basic Butter Cookies

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
Assorted sprinklesPreheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, on medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Cream the mixture until it is smooth and fluffy. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, mixing in between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat for 1 minute and add the vanilla. Combine the flour and the salt in a medium-size mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until it is fully incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the batter is thick and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Lightly flour a flat surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut the dough into the desired shapes. Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Place the cookies on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and let cool completely in the pan. Remove the cookies from the pan using a spatula. Repeat the process until all the dough is used. Frost each cookie and garnish with sprinkles.BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 1999
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick of butter, softened
3/4 pound (about 3 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Red, blue, green and yellow food coloringIn a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the cheese and butter. Add the sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla and milk and mix well. Add a couple of drops of food coloring and mix well. Yield: about 1 1/2 to 2 cups frosting

Emeril Lagasse, 1999
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BASIC BUTTER COOKIES Recipe courtesy Gourmet Magazine Show: Sara's Secrets Episode: Cookie Class

Foodnetwork.com Sara Moulton

These cookies are absolutely delicious made with regular butter, but they become downright amazing with Plugra or Land O Lakes Ultra Creamy. Dough log can be chilled up to 5 days or frozen, wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, 1 month. If frozen, thaw dough in refrigerator just until it can be sliced. Instead of forming dough into a log and chilling, you can roll tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, then roll balls in finely chopped nuts (about 1 cup) and coarse sugar. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until bottoms are browned, about 15 minutes total. To garnish cookies with chocolate, melt 3 1/2 ounces chocolate and cool slightly. Transfer to a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag and snip a 1/16-inch opening in 1 corner. Pipe chocolate evenly back and forth over cookies. Let chocolate set before storing cookies. Cookies keep, layered between sheets of waxed paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week. 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Garnish: coarse or sanding sugar; or melted chocolate (see cook's note, below) Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours. (To roll cookies into balls, see cook's note, below.) Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut enough 1/8 to 1/4-inch-thick slices from log with a heavy knife to fill 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging slices about 1-inch apart (chill remainder of log, wrapped in plastic wrap). If garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it. Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets. Cook's Note: Sanding sugar is available at specialty foods shops and New York Cake & Baking Distributor (800-942-2639).