By Melissa Clark
- Total Time
- 50 minutes, plus at least one hour’s chilling
- Rating
- 5(1,758)
- Notes
- Read community notes
These cookies are crumblier, crisper and more buttery in flavor than the typical cookie made with high-fat sweet cream butter. Which is exactly why you should make them.
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Ingredients
Yield:5 dozen small cookies
- 250grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 3grams baking powder (½ teaspoon)
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2sticks salted, cultured butter, at room temperature (1 cup)
- 130grams granulated sugar (⅔ cup)
- 1large egg yolk
- 55grams demerara sugar, for rolling (¼ cup)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (60 servings)
55 calories; 3 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 14 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Step
2
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and granulated sugar until lightened in color and fluffy; beat in egg yolk until combined. With mixer running on low, add flour mixture until incorporated.
Step
3
Divide dough into two balls. On a clean surface, roll each ball into a 1½-inch log. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over a sheet of parchment. Roll each log in the sugar until the outside of the dough is thoroughly covered. Cover logs tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour, or overnight.
Step
4
When you are ready to bake the cookies, heat oven to 325 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Use large, sharp knife to cut each log into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookie edges and bottoms are dark golden brown, about 18 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature.
Tip
- Measurements for dry ingredients are given by weight for greater accuracy. The equivalent measurements by volume are approximate.
Ratings
5
out of 5
1,758
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Cooking Notes
Michele
Would be nice if they explained what the heck "cultured butter" is. Do I take it to the opera? Expose it to ballet on PBS? Teach it French?
LWalker
I have also just learned a great tip from my sister-in-law in making these. Once you have rolled them into a log in the saran cut open a paper towel cardboard roll place it inside then refrigerate. This keeps from having a flat side on the dough.
Barbara
My grandson claims these are the best cookies he's ever had in his life. He's 14. They get raves from older folks too. My significant other is the baker. He's 91.
Baba
Oops. It seems European-style butter is cultured butter - at least according to what I read online.
Diane
I don't think I'm a novice baker/cook ... but I had to google "cultured butter". Perhaps in future recipes, you could insert a link to a description?
Suzartist
Delicious. They are small for a reason, they are rich. However they are perfect with coffee or tea to finish a meal. We accidentally doubled the salt (sea salt) and they came out just perfect. Cultured butter is also available at Trader Joes.
Penny
Fabulous sugar and butter! Melt in the mouth.
Dough is hard to handle with high butter content. Therefore, refrigerate in bowl for 30 minutes prior to dividing and rolling. Use smaller amounts than half dough to roll.
Chris
Yes, have made these for years (reg, uncouth butter) and frozen them so often my family called them slice and bakes. Also, rolled logs in chopped pecans prior to freezing.
Brandy
The description is to use a 'high fat' butter, but most butters are 80% butterfat. To get the desired 84% (or higher) level, one must decipher the fat content if butter package doesn't advertise it. The serving size will show 12 grams of fat or higher, as opposed to 11 grams. My cultured, higher fat butter of choice is Organic Valley's Pasture butter. It is salted, but has less than most salted butters. Hope this is helpful in making these excellent cookies even better!
Catalina
Diane,
Link to cultured butter recipe. Easy to make. It's available in better stores.
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016206-cultured-butter
JW
Wow. Beautiful little cookie. I used Plugra salted butter and "organic cane sugar" from Whole Foods for the granulated sugar. It has a slightly off-white color and seems to have a bit more nuance than plain white granulated sugar. I also used this same sugar for rolling the cookies.
I would not, as some have suggested, add vanilla. Vanilla would overpower the buttery delicacy. I'm sure it would be delicious, but it would be altogether a different cookie.
Penny
Fabulous and delicate butter and sugar biscuits. Dough is very melty so best to refrigerate in bowl for 30 mins prior to rolling and refrigerating again. Also, half dough is a bit much to handle - a quarter is much easier.
DavidS
I just took a batch of these out of the oven...they are amazing and everything promised! This is definitely an addition to my holiday cookie repertory (and much less fussy than some other holiday cookies). I'm especially grateful for the discovery of cultured butter--something that was new to me but that I will be looking to use in many more ways.Note that "demerara sugar" is also called raw sugar or turbinado sugar. If you can't find it, just use regular sugar.
Irene
To die for cookies. I used Kerrygold Irish butter - delish!
Janet
The second time I made these, I froze one log of dough. The frozen or defrosted dough slices easily with a serrated knife. I bake up a small batch whenever I am craving cookies.
MichaelH
I skipped the demerara sugar. I didn't need the added sugar. I used confectioners sugar instead of granulated in the dough. These are my new favorite. They are SO delicious and melt in your mouth.
keeks
Do you think I could use this recipe for cut out cookies?
Brigid Hagarty
These are my all time favorite cookies!
cynthiav
I make these a lot. I have added cardamom and mini chocolate chips or cardamom and some orange zest. Delicious variation.
Gail
At the suggestion of my granddaughter, i rolled them in sparkling sugar of different colors. Makes them pop. They are the best cookies ever.
Tamara
I love that your granddaughter is helping you bake, that's so sweet!
John
As good as any butter cookie, only hauntingly deeper in flavor. Dangerous to keep around the house.
Monique Brooks
These are the best butter cookies I have ever made! They are the perfect texture and strike just the right balance of sweet and salty. Love them!
Joejoef
Not sure what I did wrong, but rolling into logs was impossible. I ended up spreading the dough onto parchment paper and baking for about 20 minutes. Epic fail...oh well, ya win a few, you lose a few, C'est la vie!
Roblin
Excellent. This has become my go to recipe to take to parties. EVERYONE loves them. They are just delicious. My husband has nicknamed them the ‘potato’ cookie because of the way they look with the demera sugar coating. Best cookie!
caryn corenthal
Excellent recipe. I weighed the ingredients and it came out perfect.
Nicole
These are incredible. If you are considering making them - just do it.
Mena
These are the best cookies I have ever made and possibly the best cookies I have ever eaten. Not difficult to make at all. I froze the logs, defrosted until I could slice them, and baked. Perfect.
Hannah
Amazing! I used Vermont Creamery cultured butter. I think it definitely makes a difference from using regular butter. These cookies are crisp, crumbly, perfect and with a surprising amount of flavor. I'll make them again an again.
Pamela
Now I won't have to buy Palets Bretons.
Elizabeth
I made these last night as directed. Used cup measures rather than weight. These are really delicious. Vermont Creamery makes a cultured butter. I found the butter at Walmart.
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