Cream the butter and 2 tablespoons of sugar until light and fluffy, then stir in the egg yolk. Add the flour and mix until well blended.
Combine the 1/2 cup sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the dough into balls the size of small olives and roll in the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and press criss-cross with a fork until cookies are 1/3 inch thick.