Basic Country Butter Cookies
Submitted by bethyjstar
Classic roll-and-cut butter cookies with brown sugar, vanilla, and just 7 ingredients. A versatile dough for cutout shapes, including a pink candy cane twist variation.
YIELD
2 1/2 to 5 dozenPREP
45 minCOOK
10 minREADY
1 hrsThis is the butter cookie recipe you keep in your back pocket for every occasion. Seven ingredients, one bowl, and a dough that rolls out clean, cuts into any shape you want, and bakes golden in under 15 minutes. Brown sugar instead of white gives these a warmer, more caramel-toned flavor than your standard sugar cookie.
The dough needs a 30-minute chill before rolling. This firms up the butter so the cookies hold their cutout shapes on the baking sheet instead of spreading into shapeless blobs. Work with a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest refrigerated. Warm dough sticks to everything and tears when you try to transfer it.
Rolling thickness is your call. Thin at ⅛ inch gives you a crisp, snappy cookie. Thicker at ¼ inch gives you something softer and more substantial. Baking time adjusts accordingly: 8 minutes for thin, up to 15 for thick.
Kitchen Tips
- Flour your surface and rolling pin lightly. Too much flour works into the dough and makes the cookies tough. Just enough to prevent sticking.
- Chill cut shapes on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking if your kitchen is warm. This prevents spreading.
- Watch closely after 8 minutes. The difference between golden and burnt is about 60 seconds with thin cookies.
- Cool completely before decorating. Icing slides right off warm cookies.
Variations
- Pink sugar canes: The recipe includes this festive variation. Mix raspberry jam and red food coloring into half the dough, twist plain and pink ropes together into candy cane shapes, brush with egg white, and sprinkle with pink sugar crystals.
- Lemon butter cookies: Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest to the dough for a citrusy twist that pairs well with a simple glaze.
Ingredients
Directions
In large owl with electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy; beat egg in well.
In small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt; with mixer at low speed, beat into butter mixture to blend well.
Flatten dough to disk shape; refrigerate, wrapped in plastic, 30 minutes.
Work with one-fourth dough at a time; keep remainder refrigerated.
Heat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Roll dough out to ⅛ or ¼ inch thickness on lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes; or, mold in shapes.
Place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart; bake 8 to 15 minutes, depending on thickness of dough, until lightly browned.
Cool on wire racks. Store in airtight containers. Makes 2½ to 5 dozen cookies, depending on size. Variation: Pink Sugar Canes Beat 2 tablespoon seedless raspberry jam and few drops red food coloring into half of the dough. After chilling, roll plain and colored dough by heaping teaspoonsful into 6-inch-long ropes. Twist ropes together by twos to form candy canes. Brush lightly with beaten egg white; sprinkle with pink sugar crystals. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 8 dozen.
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