Khalstead's NFSC -please help me figure out what I did wrong

Please post the recipe. Sounds like a lot of sugar but I can't tell unless I know the porportion of flour and other ingredients.

I made this recipe last week and was also disappointed in the results. The dough was a little gritty and the baked cookies, like you said, were chewy in a strange way. Maybe it's the pudding mix? I used the regular (not sugar free) kind. I'll go back to the regular NFSC recipe next time.

How does the "regular" NFSC recipe differ from the one the OP posted?

Make sure you are not chilling the dough before you roll it out between wax paper. Also take a look at the amount of flour you are putting in. I use the minimum amount of flour and the maximum amount of sugar. Last, are you rolling them thick enough? Hope that helps. I love the recipe and have never had problems. Here is the link to the recipe.

http://cakecentral.com/recipes/15218/khalsteads-modified-nfsc

The original version doesn't have pudding mix as an ingredient. Also, the original calls for all butter and about 1/2 the sugar.

I have tried this recipe twice now and I am sticking to the NFSC recipe which is always fabulour. I always wonder why I try something new when the old one works so good LOL.

Sounds like a lot of sugar. I use the following NFSC recipe with fabulous results every time.

NFSC

Ingredients
6 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract or almond extract
1 tsp. salt

Directions
1.  Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
2.  Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture above. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
3.  Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
4.  Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes.
5.  Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.
6.  This recipe can make up to 5-dozen 3 cookies.

I use the one Jillfcs uses and have had great results. I'm too chicken to try another one!

I use this one, the cookies are very soft and delicate. Here they are called 'Linz cookies'. Sometimes I also add 2 tsp cinnamon.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

8 ounces (2 sticks) softened butter
3/4 cup sugar (if you want them more sweet, add 1 1/2 cup instead of 3/4)
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder non sweetened (to mix only in 1/2 of the dough)
Preparation:

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add the flour and work into a smooth dough. Divide dough in half and mix cocoa powder into half of the dough.

You may roll immediately between waxed or parchment paper but refrigerate before cutting for more even strips. The oven should not be too hot, not more than 356F, cooked they should be nice light a bit buttery colour (vanilla ones).

Make 2 colors or checkerboard cookies. The recipe and many more can be found at
http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/bohemianczechdesserts/r/black-and-white-cookies.htm

Usuallly this type of cookies is made with less sugar because after letting them to cool properly, they stick 2 together (normally use only vanilla ones) with preserve or jam and cover them in vanillinated icing sugar. They are also good with RI and as RI has tons of sugar in it I prefer the cookies less sweet themselves. Like them also single even with less sugar, but maybe they are more of european taste.