Chocolate chip sables

MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN COOKIES

Butter cookie dough:

4 cups bleached cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Sanding or sparkling sugar (see Note), for sprinkling on the unbaked cookies (or substitute granulated sugar)

Mix the dough: Sift the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper

Cream the butter in the large bowl of a freestanding electric mixer on moderately low speed for 5 minutes, or until very creamy. The 5-minute creaming time develops the texture of the dough. Add the sugar in 3 additions, beating for 1 minute after each portion is added. Blend in the vanilla extract.

On low speed, blend in the sifted ingredients in 4 additions, beating just until the flour particles are absorbed. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl frequently to keep the dough even-textured. Blend in the chocolate chips.

Roll the dough: Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion of dough between two sheets of waxed paper to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Layer the waxed paper-covered sheets of dough on a cookie sheet. Refrigerate the dough overnight.

Freeze the cookie dough: Place the sheets of dough in the freezer for 1 hour before cutting out the cookies. The dough must be firm; freeze the dough longer than 1 hour, if necessary.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees in advance of baking. Line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Cut, top, bake and cool the cookies: Working with one sheet of dough at a time, peel off both sheets of wax paper and place on a lightly floured work surface. Stamp out cookies with a 3-inch cutter.

Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the lined cookie sheets. Top each with a sprinkling of sugar.

Bake the cookies for 17 to 20 minutes, or until set. Cool the cookies on the sheets for 3 minutes, then remove them to cooling racks with a wide, offset metal spatula. Cool completely. Store in airtight tins. Bake and serve within 5 days.

Note: Sanding sugar is refined sugar processed into grains several times larger than granulated sugar.