Ingredients

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen

　　1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

　　1/3 cup sugar

　　1/8 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　Pinch of salt

　　2 large egg whites, room temperature

　　1/3 cup all-purpose flour

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F with a rack in the center. Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and salt. Beat in the egg whites until incorporated. Combine the flour and pepper in a small bowl; add to the butter mixture in 3 batches, mixing until just combined.

　　

Step 2

Put the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip (such as Ateco #804). Pipe 3-inch strips, about 1/2 inch apart, on a parchment-lined baking sheet, keeping the tip close to the sheet for thin cookies. Bake until the edges are golden and the centers are set, about 7 minutes. Let cool on the sheet 5 minutes before transferring with a spatula to a wire rack to cool completely.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.