Preheat to 400°F (200C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the dry ingredients onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper.

Cream the butter and the sugar together in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer until it is pale yellow and light.

With the mixer set at low, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until all the ingredients are blended together to form a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper and shape it into a rectangle, with your hands. Lay another piece of parchment paper over the dough and carefully roll out the dough until it is about ¼-inch (.6cm) thick. Even out the edges of the rectangle as best you can, then cut the dough into 3 x 1 -inch (7 x 2.5cm) strips. Don’t be concerned if all of the cookies aren’t EXACTLY that size, nor if your edges aren’t perfectly straight. Any “imperfect” cookies are for the ones you love.

Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, leaving a half inch (1.25cm) between each cookie, and bake in the center of the oven until they are golden, about 12 minutes. You may need to rotate the baking sheets to bake the cookies evenly.

Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack. The cookies will become nice and crisp as they cool.