Simple Butter Cookies
This is a nice golden, buttery, with a touch of sweetness cookie you can make any time! It is also a great starter cookie.
- 2 sticks *salted butter, room temperature (each stick is 4oz)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon **pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350°. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. (I like to use parchment paper, however, it is not necessary). And have all your ingredients ready.
In a bowl of a stand mixer, using a paddle attachment (you can do the same process with a handheld mixer), place the butter and mix at medium speed until creamy.
Lower your mixer speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Once all powdered sugar has been added, mix on medium speed until creamy, scraping the bowl when necessary.
With the mixer on low, add the vanilla and mix until well combined.
Then add the flour slowly until all the flour is well combined. Turn off your mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl and the bottom to be sure all the flour is well incorporated.
Take a small ice cream or cookie scoop and scoop onto your cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. If you do not have a small ice cream or a cookie scoop you can scale it by weighing 1 oz of dough for each cookie.
Once you have scooped or weighed your dough, you are going to roll them and make balls (the balls do not need to be perfectly round). Place the ball back onto the cookie sheet and with your index and middle fingers, press each ball gently.
When done pressing all the balls, place your cookie sheet in the lower rack of your oven. If baking two pans at the same time, place on top and lower rack; bake for 10-15 minutes. Ovens vary, so I go by how they look. I like mine golden brown around the edges.
Remove from oven, leave them on the cookie sheet for about 5 minutes then unto a cookie rack to finish the cooling process, about another 15 minutes.
- Now time to decorate!
Click here for a simple tutorial on how to make them pretty!
- *I use salted butter. I like the buttery, warm taste of salted butter and it eliminates having to use salt as another ingredient to use. But no worries, if you use unsalted butter, just add 1/2 teaspoon of salt! (Add the salt to your measured flour and whisk or stir it).
- **I like good quality vanilla, so I use Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract or their regular pure vanilla extract. It can be a bit pricey. Sometimes you can find it by chance at a TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or Home Goods for a few dollars less. However, any pure vanilla extract will be good!
- A little side note, when placing two cookie sheets at the same time, be mindful since one may bake quicker than the other. You can also alternate them halfway through the baking process. Also, notice the cookie sheet on the top rack, I did not use parchment paper and they turned out great!