Simple and Perfect Butter Cookies

Buttery and tender, these Simple Butter Cookies have a melt-in-your-mouth texture and wonderful sweet, buttery flavor. These cookies make a perfect snack through the day or a dessert after a main meal. They are also incredibly easy to make which makes these an excellent go-to recipe for when you need a basic cookie.

The process of making these butter cookies begins by beating butter with sugar and salt until combined, followed by mixing in an egg and flour. Next, the dough gets shaped into three logs, brushed with melted butter and coated in sugar, and then refrigerated until set. Once the cookie dough logs are sufficiently chilled, they are then sliced and baked in the oven. These buttery cookies are perfect dunked in a hot cup of tea or coffee for a comforting treat!

What are Butter Cookies?

These butter cookies are made with a buttery dough that contains butter, sugar, salt, egg, and flour. It has a similar taste to a shortbread cookie but more richness due to the addition of an egg.

There are many different types of butter cookies but one of the most popular is the Dutch butter cookies. These are generally piped cookies that include butter, flour, and sugar, and have a crisp texture.

This butter cookie recipe is similar to Dutch butter cookies, except that rather than being piped onto a baking sheet, the cookie dough is formed into a log and sliced. This slice and bake butter cookie recipe is perfect for those who don’t love the fussiness of piping dense cookie dough but appreciate the taste of a butter cookie.

Pro Tips

• Make sure the butter is quite soft before you start making the dough for this recipe.
• Don’t overmix the dough or else the cookies may have a tough texture. You will know the dough is sufficiently mixed when it is a homogeneous mixture and you no longer see any streaks of flour.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the cookies to ensure they hold their shape.
• Weigh the dough portions to ensure you get an even amount of dough in each cookie dough log.
• Don’t over bake the cookies! You will know they are baked through when they are light golden on the bottoms and around the edges.
• If you prefer the look of a piped cookie, feel free to pipe the cookie dough onto the baking sheet instead.

Butter Cookies Vs. Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread cookies have a crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture due to their high butter content and lack of eggs or leavening agents. They're less sweet and have a more delicate flavor. Butter cookies, on the other hand, are richer, slightly sweeter, and more structured, often including eggs for a softer but sturdier bite, making them ideal for piping shapes.

What to Serve with Butter Cookies?

These butter cookies are great served as they are with coffee, tea, or cold milk. However, they can also be served as an accompaniment to other desserts such as ice cream, gelato, or sorbet.

Can I Add Other Flavors to Butter Cookies?

Yes, if you would like to add other flavors to your butter cookies, you definitely could! The dough would be wonderful with the addition of lemon, orange, or lime zest for a citrusy flavor. Alternatively, you could add some almond extract or mint extract for a more festive flavor.

Can I Add Garnishes to the Butter Cookies?

Absolutely, these butter cookies are the perfect canvas for various garnishes. If you like, you could sprinkle them with sprinkles before baking them. After they are baked, you could also dip them partly in melted chocolate and garnish them with nuts like chopped pistachios or hazelnuts.

What's The Best Butter for Butter Cookies?

Generally, you should use unsalted butter for any kind of baking as you don’t want what you are baking to be too salty. However, if you only have salted butter on hand, simply omit the salt that is called for in this butter cookie recipe.

How to Store Butter Cookies

To keep these butter cookies fresh, they should be stored in an airtight container where they will keep well for up to 1 week.

However, if you would like to keep them for longer, you can also place them in the freezer where they will keep for 3 to 6 months.

How to Make Butter Cookies

In a bowl, stir the butter with the sugar and salt until light and fluffy.

Stir in the egg until combined.

Stir in the flour and then knead until a smooth dough forms.

Divide the dough into three even portions and shape them into logs.

Brush the logs with the melted butter and sprinkle them with sugar. Refrigerate them for 40 minutes.

Slice the logs into 1 cm thick circles and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake them in a 180 C (360 F) oven for 14 minutes.

Serve the cookies on a platter once they are cooled.