Butter Cookies
Butter cookies are crispy on the outside, delicate inside, and melt in your mouth. With just 4 basic ingredients, it is one of the simplest and most rewarding baking recipes. Perfect for gifts and pairing with tea or coffee.
⏱️ Cooking Time: 12 minutes
🥘 Ingredients
- 200g butter at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
👨🍳 How to Make
- 1
Beat butter with sugar until creamy and light (3-4 minutes).
- 2
Add vanilla and mix.
- 3
Gradually add sifted flour and salt, mixing until dough forms.
- 4
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 5
Preheat oven to 170C (340F).
- 6
Roll out dough (5mm thick) and cut with cutters, or make balls and flatten.
- 7
Place on a lined baking sheet, 3cm apart.
- 8
Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden. Center may look soft but firms up when cooled.
🔄 Cooking Variations
| Method | Time | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate chip cookies | 12 min | Add 1 cup chocolate chips to the dough. Use brown sugar for caramelized flavor. | |
| Piped butter cookies | 10 min | Softer dough (no chilling), piped with a pastry bag into rosette shapes. Bake 10 min. |
💡 Tips
- ✦ Room temperature butter is essential for perfect texture.
- ✦ Chill the dough before cutting to maintain cookie shape.
- ✦ Remove from oven when ONLY the edges are golden - the center firms up when cooled.
- ✦ Powdered sugar gives a more delicate texture than granulated sugar.
🧠 Did You Know?
The famous Danish Butter Cookies tins became synonymous with sewing kits worldwide!
Butter cookies originated in medieval Scotland, where butter was considered a luxury ingredient.
🥗 Nutrition Info
One butter cookie (20g) contains about 90 kcal, 10g of carbohydrates, 1g of protein, and 5g of fat. It is a caloric snack to consume in moderation.