Butter Cookies are classic holiday treats that melts in the mouth and mildy sweet, perfect for tea time or evening snack. These are made using flour, butter, sugar and eggs. These cookies are usually light golden in color, slightly crisp on the edges, and soft inside. They are popular around festive seasons and tea time, butter cookies pair well with coffee, tea, or milk.
You can make them with wheat flour too, which makes it a bit healthier than store-bought ones. They are super easy to make and don't need many ingredients. The smell of the butter baking in oven makes the house feel cozy. I like how they taste fresh even after a day or two, still soft inside and easy to munch anytime. Do try this buttery, mildy sweet butter biscuits for your kids and am sure they will love it.
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About Butter Cookies
Butter Cookies are classic cookies perfect for the holiday season. I have used unsalted butter here and used salt in the dough. These cookies are soft and melt-in-the-mouth. The sweetness is mild and perfect, not too heavy making it ideal snack during tea time.
They are different from other cookies as they are light and comforting, not overly sweet. Edges get golden crisp while inside remains soft, that makes them super nice to eat with tea.
The origin is European, but these cookies are now very popular in India as homemade treats. Many like to bake during festivals or weekends. They are versatile too, I have tried adding chocolate chips or nuts sometimes, it changes the flavor a little. But the basic version with butter, flour, sugar and egg stays my favorite.
The texture depends a lot on the baking time if you bake for few more minutes it makes crisp cookies, when the timing is less it yields the classic edge crisp and center soft cookies. So the texture is purely your preference.
Traditionally these are piped cookies but you can roll them and cut and cake too. You can make fun shapes or simple rounds, taste is same either way. I love piped cookies as they are easy to make and looks pretty too. I usually make these for kids snack box or weekends when I need to bake something quick and easy.
Butter Cookies Video
Butter Cookies Ingredients
- Flour - I used plain flour to make cookies. You can also use whole wheat or millet flour if you want a little healthier version.
- Butter - I added unsalted butter to make cookies soft and buttery, added salt to the flour mix. This is main flavor, but you can use salted butter too if you like but in that case skip salt.
- Icing sugar - I just added this for mild sweetness and smooth texture. The texture may change if you replace with granulated or sugar powdered.
- Egg yolk- I have added egg yolk for binding the dough and make cookies soft. You can skip or use flax egg if you want eggless version.
- Vanilla extract - This is purely optional and add it only if you the flavor. Butter cookies without any flavoring tastes great too.
Similar Recipes
- Butter Biscuits
- Sweet and Salt Biscuits
- Biscuit Bon Bons
- Fruit and Nut Cookies
- Eggless Wheat Biscuits
How to make Butter Cookies Step by Step
1.To a mixing bowl add 115 grams soft butter(½ cup). Beat it well using a electric beater. Use butter at room temperature.
2.Now add 60 grams icing sugar (½ cup) to it.
3.Beat it well until creamy and smooth.
4.Add 1 egg yolk at room temperature and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
5.Beat it until well combined. Scrape the sides using a spatula.
6.Add 1 tablespoon warm water to loosen the dough slightly. Do not add more.
7.Mix it using a spatula.
8.Transfer the dough to a piping bag with 1 M nozzle fitted.
9.Transfer it to another piping bag to avoid it from tearing.
10.Pipe as shown in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
11.All piped and ready. Choose a tray that will fit in your freezer as freezing the piped cookies for minimum 1 hour is mandatory.
12.Freeze the piped cookies for minimum 1 hour. Preheat oven at 176 DEG C for 10 minutes.
13.Bake in preheated oven at 176 deg C for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden.
Butter cookies are ready! Cool down then store in airtight container.
Expert Tips
- Mixing - I usually beat butter and sugar until soft and creamy. This can be done manually too, but electric beater works best.
- Dough - The dough should be sticky and not too tight. If it is too tight then it may be hard to pipe.Adding 1 tablespoon warm water helps to loosen the dough but do not add more.
- Cookie shapes - I piped the cookies which is the classic version. But you can roll and cut into different shapes like shortbread cookies too. Use different cookie cutters for fun shapes, and collect scraps to roll again.
- Baking time - I preheat oven at 176°C. Bake until edges turn golden, this can take around 12-15 minutes. Don't over bake or cookies will become hard.
- Texture - Butter cookies are crisp outside and soft inside. If you want the cookies to be crisp then bake for 12 minutes.
- Cooling and storage - I cool cookies completely before storing in airtight container.
Serving and Storage
Serve them with a cup of tea or milk, it tastes too good. Store leftover cookies in airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. If cookies soften a bit, I usually put them in warm oven for 2-3 minutes to refresh crispiness. This can also make them easy to pack for school or office snack.
FAQS
1.Can I make it eggless?
Yes, you can use flax egg or any egg substitute, this still makes great cookies.
2.Can I use brown sugar?
Yes, it gives a mild caramel taste and darker color, this works fine. The texture also changes.
3.Can I refrigerate the piped cookies?
Yes but you need to refrigerate for longer hours like 5-6 hours minimum. But I would recommend freezing them which works perfect.
4.Can I add in nuts?
Yes you can just chopped nut and add or chocolate chips in the dough for extra flavor. In that case you can roll the dough into a log, freeze, cut and bake it.
5.How do these stay fresh?
They stay fresh in airtight container for 3-4 days.
If you have any more questions about this Butter Cookies Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube and Twitter .
Tried this Butter Cookies Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
📖 Recipe Card
Butter Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour - 120 grams
- ½ cup soft butter - 115 grams
- ½ cup icing sugar - 60 grams
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- To a mixing bowl add 115 grams soft butter(½ cup). Beat it well using a electric beater. Use butter at room temperature.
- Now add 60 grams icing sugar (½ cup) to it.
- Beat it well until creamy and smooth.
- Add 1 egg yolk at room temperature and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Beat it until well combined. Scrape the sides using a spatula.
- Add 1 tablespoon warm water to loosen the dough slightly. Do not add more.
- Mix it using a spatula.
- Transfer the dough to a piping bag with 1 M nozzle fitted.
- Transfer it to another piping bag to avoid it from tearing.
- Pipe as shown in a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- All piped and ready. Choose a tray that will fit in your freezer as freezing the piped cookies for minimum 1 hour is mandatory.
- Freeze the piped cookies for minimum 1 hour. Preheat oven at 176 DEG C for 10 minutes.
- Bake in preheated oven at 176 deg C for 10-12 minutes or until the edges turn golden.
- Butter cookies are ready! Cool down then store in airtight container.
Notes
- Mixing - I usually beat butter and sugar until soft and creamy. This can be done manually too, but electric beater works best.
- Dough - The dough should be sticky and not too tight. If it is too tight then it may be hard to pipe.Adding 1 tablespoon warm water helps to loosen the dough but do not add more.
- Cookie shapes - I piped the cookies which is the classic version. But you can roll and cut into different shapes like shortbread cookies too. Use different cookie cutters for fun shapes, and collect scraps to roll again.
- Baking time - I preheat oven at 176°C. Bake until edges turn golden, this can take around 10 minutes. Don't over bake or cookies will become hard. If you like it crisp bake for extra 2 minutes
- Texture - Butter cookies are crisp outside and soft inside. If you want the cookies to be crisp then bake for 12 minutes.
- Cooling and storage - I cool cookies completely before storing in airtight container.
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