When I was a little girl, my friend Patti’s mom was a room mother—the only one I remember. I attribute that to these sugar cookies. She’d bring them cut out in bunnies or pumpkins or whatever was in season, and I would be beside myself with excitement. They’re crisp and they melt in your mouth. I searched for years for a comparable cookie and never found one. But now, thanks to the wonder of Facebook, I am reunited with Patti and she has passed on her mother’s recipe to me.

I love leaving a plate of these in the guest room during the holidays. Some tips: This dough should be rolled out impossibly thin. In order to do that and still be able to move the cookies to the tray, I roll out the dough between two sheets of wax paper and then chill it, so it’s not warmed up by the rolling, plus it doesn’t incorporate extra flour that would dry out the cookie.

This is not a great cookie to make with kids because the dough is so delicate. I use bakers’ sugar (less grainy) to keep the cookies crisp. These are very light cookies and would be overpowered by frosting. A simple sprinkle of colored sugar is perfect.