Butter Cookies, the simplest of flavors. And these one bowl slice and bake Butter Cookies will become your new favorite to have on hand.
Butter. Cookies. Butter...Cookies. Butter Cookies! Two of my favorite foods, butter and cookies. How happy was I when Debbie assigned me the Butter Cookie recipe from David Tanis' Heart of the Artichoke cookbook for her Gr8 Dinner homage to the chef.
This recipe is wonderful because there are 6 simple ingredients and only 1 bowl is required! You probably have everything you need to make these cookies now.
The other thing I like about this recipe is, since it's a refrigerator cookie, you can make the logs ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze them. So you can always have fresh from the oven tender buttery cookies for Gr8 Friends and Family!
These cookies are perfect for an afternoon snack or serve them with Debbie's Java Almond Fudge Ice Cream (no churning required!) for a perfect dessert.
If you're like me and like to start early in the morning, take the butter out of the fridge the night before to soften.
Make the dough first thing in the morning and put it in the refrigerator to chill. It will then be ready to slice and bake an hour later, or after work, or after dinner!
Fresh hot cookies for dessert...ummm, yummm!
When I took them to Debbie and Phil's Heart of the Artichoke Gr8 Dinner, the sandwich sign that the invitation was written on became the "platter" for the cookies! Lined with a piece of parchment paper, it was perfect!
One Bowl Slice and Bake Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ pound unsalted butter, softened, (2 sticks) *See Gr8 Butter Notes below
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with your mixer on high, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. The mixture is creamed when the sugar is well incorporated into the butter.
- Beat in the egg yolks, salt, and vanilla.
- When the mixture is well combined add the flour one cup at a time and stir. You can use the lowest setting on your electric mixer or do this part by hand. (I'm lazy, I use my mixer!) Make sure the flour is completely incorporated.
- Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces and form each piece into a 1-inch in diameter log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour or up to 3 days. (Or freeze, see Gr8 Note.)
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Remove one log from the refrigerator and slice at ½-inch intervals. Place on cookie sheet at least an inch apart.
- Bake for 11-14 minutes until the edges are golden brown.
Notes
Gr8 Butter Notes:
- If you only have good salted butter in the house, use that but omit the ½ teaspoon of salt in the recipe.
- Be sure to buy the best quality butter you can for this recipe, it shows in the flavor. I love the European butters for recipes like this.
Gr8 Do Ahead Notes:
- Cookie logs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, then sliced and baked.
- You can freeze the logs for up to 2 months. Let them defrost for a few minutes before slicing, but the logs should still be firm enough to get a good round slice, so watch them carefully.
Gr8 Holiday Idea:
- Before baking sprinkle the sliced cookies with crystal sugar in the colors of your choice to make festive holiday cookies.
Be a Gr8 Friend and tell us what you think!