SUGAR COOKIES ("TEA CAKES")

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Put flour in a bowl and make a well in center. Beat together butter and sugar in another bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then beat in egg and vanilla until blended.
• Add butter mixture to flour and rub it into flour with your fingertips just until dough comes together in a ball (do not overwork dough, or it will be tough). 3Halve dough and work with 1 half at a time. Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Cut out cookies with a floured cutter (we used a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter), arranging cookies, as cut, 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Reroll scraps once, using as little flour as possible, and cut out more cookies.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, in middle of oven until very pale golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute, then transfer to a rack to cool 5 minutes if serving warm, or to cool completely.