The Ultimate Recipe to Butter Cookies
I love butter cookies. They’re a classic cookie recipe, and I’ve been making them since I was a kid. The flavor is great, and they always turn out beautifully. Butter cookies are also super easy to make, which makes them a great choice for novice bakers or anyone who doesn’t want to spend all day in the kitchen on Christmas Eve (or any other day).
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine. It’s okay if it’s salted, but it won’t be as sweet.
Warm the butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds to soften it up. You can also cut the stick into pieces and use a fork to make it easier to mix with other ingredients.
Measure the flour by spooning into a measuring cup and sweeping off any excess with a knife or flat edge of your hand back over top of measure line so that you don’t get more than what’s needed (this is called “dusting”). If you don’t have an official scoop for flour, use an ice cream scoop instead!
Measure sugar by leveling off excess with straight, edge across top of measure line on container; then sweep back over with your finger so that there isn’t too much sugar in your bowl when you add them together.
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Sugar is a white crystalline solid that is used as a sweetener in foods and beverages. It is the most concentrated source of calories, supplying energy to the body.
Sugar comes from sugarcane and sugar beets. The sugar from these plants is extracted mostly by crushing them and extracting the juice, which then undergoes several stages of purification until it becomes crystallized sugar. This process takes place at temperatures above 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit) since most sugars are soluble in water at this temperature or below, but not at higher temperatures.
2 cups all, purpose flour
This is the main ingredient for these butter cookies. You can use regular white flour, but I prefer to use a combination of hard and soft wheat flours for their unique flavor and texture. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use 100% white flour or substitute whole wheat pastry flour (often labeled as “soft white”) in its place.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla extract is a flavoring extract made from vanilla beans. It’s often used in baking, and it’s an important ingredient in many desserts.
You’ll find vanilla extract at the grocery store near the spices. It comes in small bottles or little glass vials that you can reuse for other things later!
3 large egg yolks
In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and beat them to break them up. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine.
Add ¾ cup of flour at a time and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are incorporated into batter (this should take about 2 minutes).
Transfer batter to an airtight container or plastic bag and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using it in your butter cookie recipe!
Great cookies that the whole family can enjoy!
In addition to the basic recipe, there are many ways you can change up this cookie to make it your own. Try adding nuts or chocolate chips, raisins or other dried fruit, different types of sugar (such as brown sugar), different extracts (like vanilla bean paste), and different types of flour. You can also make these cookies into icebox cookies by storing them in an airtight container for several days before eating them.
Add, ins and Variations
- Add toffee bits: Toffee, flavored candy or nuts, such as chopped Heath bars or almonds.
- Add M&Ms: Chocolate, covered M&M’s are a delicious addition to these cookies. You could also use chocolate chips instead of plain ones for an added burst of chocolate flavor and color in every bite!
- Add peanut butter: To make these cookies extra rich and flavorful, substitute peanut butter for part of the butter called for in the recipe (or all of it if you’re feeling adventurous). The trick here is not to overdo it—you want just enough PB so that your cookies don’t taste like straight up Jif (though we’re sure that would be amazing). If you really want to amp up the peanut butter flavor even more, try adding some Reese’s pieces between layers before baking—it adds a great crunchy texture without being too sweet!
This recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser
Not only does it require simple ingredients, but it’s also quite easy to make. These cookies are great desserts for after dinner, or you can make them ahead of time and store them in the freezer until you’re ready to serve—they’ll be ready in minutes! These cookies are also a great addition to any cookie tray. They’re easy to make, and you can use whatever flavor of buttercream frosting that you want! I personally like chocolate marshmallows on top.
