Classic Melt-in-Your-Mouth Butter Cookies
Make rich, buttery cookies that melt in your mouth using simple pantry ingredients. This recipe is easy to follow and perfect for holiday baking or gifting.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 14 min
- Total Time: 34 min
- Yield: 3 dozen 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 large egg yolk (optional, for richer texture)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Beat in the salt and vanilla extract. If using, mix in the egg yolk.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cornstarch.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Shape the dough: For slice-and-bake, form the dough into a log, wrap it, and chill for 30 minutes. For piped cookies (Danish style), place the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
- If slicing, cut the chilled log into 1/4-inch thick rounds. If piping, pipe small rosettes onto the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- For a Danish butter cookie look, use a star piping tip and pipe small swirls onto the sheet.
- You can dip half of the cooled cookies in melted chocolate for decoration.
- For a richer flavor, substitute 1/4 cup of the butter with browned butter.
- These cookies keep well in an airtight container for up to one week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 11g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg