Grandma's Secret Butter Cookies (Printable)
Tender, melt-in-the-mouth cookies richly buttery and delicately sweet. Perfect for tea or festive occasions.
# What You'll Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
03 - 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
04 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Optional Finishing
07 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
# How To Cook:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl until well combined.
03 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing just until dough comes together.
06 - Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
07 - Gently press each ball with fork tines or glass bottom to flatten slightly.
08 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges just begin turning golden. Do not overbake.
09 - Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Lightly dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- These cookies literally melt on your tongue, no exaggeration needed
- The recipe is impossible to mess up and uses ingredients you already have
- They look elegant enough for a party but taste like home
02 -
- Room temperature butter should indent easily when you press it. Cold butter creates streaky dough that bakes unevenly.
- These cookies continue baking on the hot sheet. Pull them out when edges look just barely golden or they'll harden too much.
- Measuring flour correctly changes everything. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off, never scoop directly.
03 -
- Chill your baking sheets between batches if you only have two. Hot sheets cause cookies to spread before they set.
- Rotate the pans halfway through baking. Most ovens have hot spots and this ensures even browning.