(For a pareve variation on this recipe, substitute margarine for butter. Works like a dream.)

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a larger mixing bowl, cream the butter and the brown sugar until fluffy -- a hand-held electric mixer works well for this. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl, beating well after each addition, until the dough is well blended.

Using a piece of waxed paper to guide and wrap, form the dough into a log one-and-a-half inches in diameter. Chill the log, wrapped in the wax paper and in an extra layer of foil, in your freezer for two hours. At this point, you may leave the dough in the freezer until you're ready to bake cookies.

Preheat the oven to 375^o.

Cut the log of dough into 1/8-inch slices with a very sharp knife. Arrange the slices about two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. (Make sure not to underbake the cookies.)

Transfer the cookies with a metal spatula to racks and let them cool for about ten minutes. The cookies will become very crisp as they cool.

For smaller cookies, form the dough into a thinner log and bake for a slightly shorter time.