1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried cherries, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 300°.

1. Take out the bottoms of three 8 inch springform pans and trace their outlines on parchment paper. Cut out the circles and place them in the greased pans. Rub butter on the parchment. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar on medium high until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add flour, salt, and vanilla and mix just until the flour is combined. Remove from the mixer and combine the dried cherries by hand.

3. Divide the dough into thirds and place in the prepared pans. Spread the dough evenly out to the edges of the pan. Flatten with a spatula or knife. You want the top to be as smooth as possible. With a knife score the top of the dough into 8 or 12 pie shaped wedges. If you like you can create a pattern in the top of the dough with a fork.

4. Bake about 50 - 55 minutes or until the dough is dry. You will not notice much of a change in the color of the dough. So after 50 minutes check by gently pressing in the center of the round. If it feels firm and dry it is ready.

5. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Cut into wedges with a sharp knife. The cherries add a great tartness to this buttery cookie but can hinder your cutting efforts. Take it slow and make sure you cut all the way through the cookie.