Description
These classic Butter Cookies are crisp, melt-in-your-mouth tender, and need only six ingredients. They are the perfect simple homemade treat for any season.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons (265 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon vegetable shortening (optional)
- Nonpareil sprinkles (optional)
- 1 cup (170 g) dark chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C) and getting your equipment ready. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar, beating them on high speed for several minutes until the mixture is pale, creamy, and voluminous. This step is crucial for aeration, so don’t rush it.
- Add the egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt to the creamed butter mixture. Beat these ingredients together thoroughly, pausing to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is evenly incorporated and no streaks of butter remain.
- Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the all-purpose flour in small increments. Once the flour is mostly incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat until the dough is completely smooth and uniform; thorough mixing is key here to ensure the dough is pliable enough to pipe.
- Fit a large piping bag with a large open star tip, specifically the Ateco 827 or a similar size. Fill the bag with only half of the dough at a time, as overfilling makes it difficult to squeeze and apply consistent pressure.
- Pipe the dough into circular swirls or rosettes directly onto an ungreased baking sheet, leaving a little space between each one. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, watching closely until the edges are just starting to turn a light golden brown.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes to set before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. If you move them too soon, they may crumble because of their delicate, buttery texture.
- If you want to add the chocolate dip, combine the dark chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the chocolate, place on wax paper, add sprinkles if desired, and let them set until the chocolate hardens.
Notes
Use a large piping tip (Ateco 827 recommended) to ensure the dough pipes easily. If the dough is too stiff, warm the piping bag slightly with your hands.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cooling Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 146
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 24mg
- Fat: 9g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 26mg
Keywords: Butter Cookies, easy recipe, homemade, baked dessert, spring baking