Santa Buttons (12 Days of Christmas Treats)

Santa Buttons

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Santa Buttons!
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Cranberry Crumb Bars!
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Chocolate Crinkles!
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Cinnamon Roll Cookies!
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Microwave Peanut Brittle!
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me ... Almond Lace Cookies!

If you're having a cookie exchange this year, or if you're looking for a Christmas treat to hand out as gifts (in pretty little packages, with pretty ribbon of course) these are the cookies to make. Food and Wine actually calls them Baby Buttons, which is cute and would definitely be a perfect sweet for a baby shower, but I thought they would be adorable colored red and green and made into Santa buttons! (Or elf buttons, if you wish.) Mine aren't perfect, but when you take a bite that doesn't matter. They're so light and sweet and delicate - perfect with a cup of tea (or a mug of cocoa!)

Santa Buttons
Adapted from Food and Wine
Printer-friendly recipe

Ingredients
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1.5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1.5 cups all-purpose flour

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, pulse butter and half cup of powdered sugar. Add cornstarch, vanilla and flour and pulse until soft dough forms. Remove dough and divide into four equal pieces.
3. On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a 12-inch log. Cut into 12 pieces and roll each into a ball. Place on sheet, and bake 20 to 22 minutes, until bottoms are browned but tops are pale. (Cookies can be placed pretty close together because they won't spread much during baking.)
4. Sift remaining powdered sugar into a bowl. Toss warm cookies in sugar to coat. Transfer to clean sheet. While cookies are still warm poke button holes into them with a toothpick or skewer. Let cookies cool completely before serving.