How to Make Butter Cookies

Co-authored by Quynh La

Last Updated: September 13, 2022 Approved

Butter cookies—also known as Dutch biscuits—are delicious, crispy cookies that are quick and easy to make. Even better, the recipe only uses pantry staples! Use a cookie press to turn the dough into beautiful shapes or roll the dough into a log and cut classic circles. Enjoy these yummy cookies yourself or gift them to a loved one.

Ingredients

1 cup (225 grams) of butter
1 cup (200 grams) of white sugar
1 egg
2 teaspoons (10 mL) of vanilla essence
¼ teaspoon (1.42 grams) of salt
2 ⅔ cups (241 grams) of all-purpose flour

Makes 36 cookies

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making the Batter

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1
Preheat your oven to 200 °C (392 °F). Turn your oven to the bake setting and set it to 200 °C (392 °F). Place the oven rack in the middle shelf of the oven. This will help the butter cookies to cook evenly.^{[1]
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- Most ovens take at least 10 minutes to heat up.
2
Measure 1 cup (225 g) of butter and 1 cup (200 g) of sugar into a mixing bowl. White sugar works best for making butter cookies, however, if you only have raw sugar, use that instead. If the butter has been in the fridge, leave it on a plate at room temperature for 30 minutes to soften. This will make it much easier to mix.^{[2]
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- Use a large mixing bowl to allow plenty of room to mix the ingredients.
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3
Cream the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy. Use an electric beater to combine the ingredients until the butter lightens in color and the mixture looks fluffy. Set the beater to the highest setting to speed up the process and to make the mixture extra fluffy. It generally takes 5 minutes of beating to cream the mixture.^{[3]
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- White sugar works best for making butter cookies, however, if you only have raw sugar, use that instead.
Tip: If you don't have an electric beater, use a dessert spoon instead. This will take longer but will eventually achieve the same result.
4
Stir the egg and vanilla into the mixture. Add 2 teaspoon (10mL) of vanilla essence and an egg to the bowl. Use the electric mixer to stir the ingredients until they are thoroughly combined and any lumps have been crushed.^{[4]
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- If you are using an egg that has been in the pantry or fridge for a while, crack it into a cup first to check that it hasn't gone rotten. This is also a good way to avoid getting shell in the mixture.
5
Stir the salt and flour in a separate bowl. Measure ¼ teaspoon (1.42 grams) of salt and 2 ⅔ cups (241 grams) of flour into a medium-sized bowl. Stir the ingredients together with a spoon to disperse the salt amongst the flour. Use the back of the spoon to crush any lumps in the mixture.^{[5]
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- All-purpose flour works best for this recipe, however, if you only have wholemeal flour, use this instead.
Pour the flour and salt into the middle of the large bowl. Set the electric beater to the lowest setting and mix the ingredients until they are combined.^{[6]
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Note: Stop mixing once the ingredients are combined as over-mixing can cause the mixture to dry out.
This cools the dough and helps the cookies to retain their shape when they are cooked. Cover the bowl of dough with cling wrap to stop the dough from absorbing the different smells in the fridge. If you don't have cling wrap, place the dough into an airtight container.^{[7]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Rolling and Cooking the Cookies

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1
Use a cookie press if you want to create pretty shapes. This is an easy way to make your cookies look perfect and professional. Fill the cookie press with dough and tighten the lid. Use the lever to squeeze the batter onto a greased baking tray.^{[8]
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- Purchase a cookie press from a homeware store.
- This is a great option if you want to gift the cookies.
2
Roll the dough into a log if you want to make circle cookies. Take the dough out of the bowl and place it onto a clean bench. Use your hands to squeeze the dough into a lump and then roll it into a log shape. Try to make the log a consistent width. This will help the biscuits to cook evenly.^{[9]
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- Sprinkle a dusting of flour onto the bench to help stop the dough from sticking.
- Make the log 30 cm (12 in) long and 5 cm (2.0 in) wide.
3
Cut the log into 1 cm (0.39 in) slices and place them onto a baking tray. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into slices. Continue slicing until the whole log has been cut into cookies and then place the biscuits onto a greased tray.^{[10]
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- Try your best to make each slice and even distance apart as this will help the biscuits to cook evenly.
- Move the log onto a cutting board to cut if your bench scratches easily.
- Leave 2.5 cm (0.98 in) between each cookie.
4
Cook the cookies for 10 minutes or until they are golden brown. Place the tray of cookies into the middle of the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. Check the cookies after 8 minutes, and if they are golden around the edges, take them out. Transfer the cookies onto a wire cooling rack to cool.^{[11]
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- Always use oven mitts when taking trays out of the oven.
- Let the cookies cool for 30 minutes.
- Keep the cookies in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 2 weeks. An airtight container will help to keep the cookies nice and crispy. If you want to eat the cookies at a later date, place the airtight container into the freezer for up to 5 months.^{[12]
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Community Q&A

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Question

How do I make self-rising flour?

Community Answer

Add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each cup of plain flour. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl to make sure the baking powder is thoroughly distributed. If you are baking with cocoa, yogurt or buttermilk, add 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), as generally these ingredients need a little extra leavening boost. In the U.S., self-rising flour also contains added salt; around 1/2 teaspoon per cup.

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Question

How do you know when the cookies are baked?

Qamar

Top Answerer

It's pretty tricky to tell when butter cookies are done because they are light in color. Usually, the sides will be golden brown and crispy.

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Question

Can I add any type of milk to the cookie dough?

Qamar

Top Answerer

This recipe does not require milk, but if you want to add some to make the dough easier to handle, you can add a tablespoon of any type of milk.

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Warnings

Use oven mitts when taking the cookie sheets out of the oven.

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The cookies break quite easily, especially while still hot. Be especially gentle when transferring them to cooling racks.

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