Butter Cookies
User Reviews
4.8
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Prep Time
25 mins
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Servings
26 cookies
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Calories
146 kcal
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Course
Dessert, Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
Butter Cookies
Description
This Butter Cookies recipe relies on creaming softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until creamy, then integrating egg yolk and vanilla extract for richness and flavor. Salt and flour are added gradually to form a stiff dough that maintains shape when piped. Piping with an Ateco 827 tip creates consistent, detailed swirl cookies, baked at 375°F (190°C) for about 10-12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Cooling on the sheet briefly prevents breakage.
For those without piping equipment or experiencing stiff dough, the dough can be dropped by spoonfuls and gently patterned with a fork for a classic look. Proper measuring of flour by spooning and leveling without packing prevents overly stiff dough. Optionally, melted dark chocolate mixed with shortening can coat cooled cookies, and sprinkles add additional decoration. The cookies keep well at room temperature in an airtight container up to 2-3 weeks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened, unsalted
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour "plain flour" in the UK
For Chocolate (optional)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ teaspoon vegetable shortening I use Crisco
- nonpareil sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven 375F (190C)
- In a large bowl (or, preferably, in the bowl of a stand mixer), combine butter and sugar and beat together with an electric mixer until creamy and very well-combined.
- Add egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt and beat well. Pause to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well incorporated.
- With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour until the flour is completely combined. Again you should pause to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Fit a large piping bag with Ateco 827 piping tip and portion half of the cookie dough into the bag².
- Pipe cookies into swirl shapes on an unlined, ungreased cookie sheet. Transfer to 375F (190C) preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges of cookies are just beginning to turn golden brown.
- Allow cookies to cool for 10 minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.
- Do not pipe cookie dough onto a hot or warm cookie sheet.
- Once cookies have cooled completely, dip in chocolate (if desired).
Chocolate
- Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well in between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Dip cookies in chocolate and transfer to a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Decorate with nonpareils or other sprinkles, if desired.
- Allow chocolate to harden before enjoying. You can speed up this process by placing the cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
Notes
- Use an Ateco 827 piping tip for best swirl cookie shapes; smaller tips may be too difficult.
- Measure flour by lightly spooning into the cup and leveling off to avoid stiff dough.
- If dough is too stiff to pipe, you can drop rounded spoonfuls onto the baking sheet and create a criss-cross pattern with a fork before baking.
- Warming the dough in the piping bag by squeezing it may help ease piping.
- Butter Cookies keep well for up to 2–3 weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 26cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 146 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cookie (includes chocolate/sprinkles) | |
| Calories | 146kcal | 7% |
| Carbohydrates | 16g | 5% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 26mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 24mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 3mg | 0% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
| Vitamin A | 5IU | 0% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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