Classic Melt-in-Your-Mouth Butter Cookies
A simple recipe for rich, traditional butter cookies that are tender and dissolve easily when eaten. This recipe works well for both scooping and piping.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Total Time: 27 min
- Yield: About 3 dozen
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Beat the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
- For scooping: Drop rounded teaspoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing them 2 inches apart.
- For piping: Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe desired shapes onto lined baking sheets.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For a Danish style cookie, reduce the flour to 2 1/4 cups and add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the wet ingredients.
- You can chill the dough for 30 minutes before scooping or piping if your kitchen is warm.
- Dip the cooled cookies halfway into melted chocolate for an added flavor variation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 35
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 10
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 25