These Sugar Cookies courtesy of The New York Times are as easy to make as they are delicious. Yields 18 cookies.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour (leveled), 3/4 teaspoon baking soda and1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together 1 1/2 sticks salted butter and 1 cup sugar until fluffy,about 2 minutes. Beat in 1 egg and 1 egg yolk until creamy, then add 1 tablespoon vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the buttermixture and beat until just combined.
Add 2 tablespoons sugar to a small bowl. Roll dough into golf-ball-size balls (about 2 tablespoons each) and roll each one in the sugar. Transfer dough to parchment-lined baking sheets, keeping balls 3-inches apart. Bake until cookies are just set and dry in the center, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer each sheet to a rack to cool for a few minutes, then transfer cookies to racks to cool completely.
To enjoy the freshest cookies, only bake as many as you plan on eating in a day. To store extra dough, roll into balls and store inan airtight container in the freezer. Bake them from frozen, rolling in sugar just beforehand.