Recipe: Nutmeg Sugar Tops [edit]

Step 1

Sift together the flours, baking powder, cream of tartar and nutmeg.

Step 2

Cream the butter in the large bowl of an electric mixer on low speed for 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and beat for 1 to 2 minutes on moderate speed. Blend in the sifted mixture on low speed. The dough will be quite sticky. Place the dough on a large sheet of wax paper, place another sheet on top and roll out the dough to about 1/3-inch thickness. Carefully transfer the sheet of dough onto a cookie sheet and refrigerate for about 4 hours, or overnight, until the dough is very firm. The sheet of dough can be stored in the refrigerator, well wrapped, for up to 2 days.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Step 4

Peel off the wax paper just before cutting the dough. Stamp out 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inch rounds or squares and place them, 2 inches apart on lined cookie sheets. Lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the cold water and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Reroll the scraps, refrigerate until firm and cut the remaining cookies. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until set.

Step 5

After 1 minute, transfer the cookies to cooling racks using a wide metal spatula. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.