Community Pick
World's Best Butter Cookies
photo by Billy Green
- Ready In:
- 33mins
- Ingredients:
- 6
- Yields:
-
48 cookies
ingredients
- 8 ounces unsalted butter
- 3⁄4 cup granulated sugar
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
directions
- Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in the egg yolk until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.
- Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
- Scrape onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times, just until the dough smooths out.
- Turn onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, wrap up and refrigerate for several hours or freeze.
- Before baking, preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Line your baking sheets with parchment.
- Slice the dough into slices about 1/8" thick and place them on the sheets about an inch apart (they won't be spreading very much, but they need air room around each cookie).
- Bake until JUST beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 16-18 minutes.
- Note: you can do many things with these cookies.
- You could roll the dough out and cut shapes.
- You could slice them even thinner and sandwich them with chocolate or jam or lemon curd.
- You could make them and then dip them half into chocolate.
- You could just make them and eat them, which is my favorite.
- Whatever you do, they will be delicious.
Questions & Replies
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Reviews
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I have been a Chef for 30 years. I don't understand all the negative responses here. I suggest a little more flour and 2tbs extra sugar to make the dough less wet. It cooks beautifully. Hot oven is the trick and leave on tray until completely cold. They crisp up beautifully. Can also be used as a slice base with great success
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Tweaks
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I make this recipe every year. I use this recipe with ingredients exactly as shown but skip refrigeration roll out... and makes this the perfect recipe for my cookie press! Cook for 8 minutes at 400 degree oven (375 if convection) until edges start to slightly brown (shortened bake time due to room temp dough). Also I think a key is that the butter and eggs are also at room temp when mixing, do not try to mix from cold butter or eggs. I keep the pressed cookies simple and drizzle with 70% dark choc or a dark choc chunk pressed in center as soon as they come out of oven. A sprinkle of sea salt with the dark chocolate drizzle for the sweet salty treat and these are are hit! Not too sweet, perfectly flaky, and not too doughy! These are my favorite holiday treat, great to give as gifts or to bring for the hostess with a bottle of wine!
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YUM! This is the butter cookie recipe that you've been looking for. Stop looking for another recipe because THIS IS IT! I substituted about half a teaspoon of vanilla for almond extract. If you're new to baking, I recommend taking the butter out of the fridge for about half an hour to let it soften(makes it easier to cream). Also, you can skip refrigerating the dough if you're just going to roll it out and use cookie cutters. Great, easy, and fun recipe for kids too.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
P48422
United States