Grandma's Secret Butter Cookies (Printable)
Tender, melt-in-your-mouth buttery cookies rich with vanilla flavor
# What You Need:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
03 - 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
04 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Optional Finishing
07 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt until well combined.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated into the butter mixture.
05 - Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
06 - Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
07 - Gently press each ball with the tines of a fork or the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly.
08 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden. Do not overbake.
09 - Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The texture is impossibly tender, practically crumbling the moment they hit your tongue
- Five minutes of active work, a short bake, and suddenly your house smells like something grandmotherly is happening
02 -
- Room temperature butter means you can press your finger into it without resistance, not almost soft
- These look done before they actually are, pulling them out when centers seem slightly soft is the secret to tenderness
03 -
- Weigh your flour if possible, measuring by volume can easily add too much and make cookies heavy
- The fork trick works better if you dip it in flour between cookies to prevent sticking