Vanilla Butter Cookies

Delicate, melt in your mouth butter cookies with pure vanilla flavor. These elegant treats are perfect for holiday gifting, afternoon tea, or any occasion that calls for a refined sweet.

Vanilla Butter Cookies
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
12 min
Total Time
60 min
Servings
36

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. 1

    Beat softened butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

  2. 2

    Add egg yolk and vanilla extract, beating until well combined.

  3. 3

    Sift flour and salt together, then add to butter mixture in two additions, mixing just until dough comes together.

  4. 4

    Gather dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

  5. 5

    Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

  6. 6

    Roll dough between two sheets of parchment to 5mm thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

  7. 7

    Place cookies 2cm apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill for 10 minutes if dough has softened.

  8. 8

    Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until edges are barely golden. The centers should still look slightly underdone.

  9. 9

    Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks. Dust with powdered sugar once completely cool.

Tips, Variations and Storage

Tips: Cold dough bakes with sharper edges. If cookies spread too much, chill dough longer. Do not overbake or cookies will be dry. Variations: Dip cooled cookies halfway in melted chocolate. Add citrus zest to the dough for lemon or orange butter cookies. Storage: Keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Unbaked dough freezes well for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information

Calories
95
Protein
1g
Carbs
10g
Fat
6g

Related Content

Sarah Mitchell

Written by

Sarah Mitchell

Certified Executive Chef, Culinary Institute of Australia Graduate, Former Head Chef at The Celebration Kitchen Sydney

Sarah Mitchell is a professionally trained chef and food writer with over 15 years of experience creating recipes for home cooks. She specializes in making complex dishes accessible to everyday families while maintaining authentic flavors and techniques.