The Mother Of All Butter Cookies With Endless Variations Recipes

THE BEST BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for a full 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through the mixing; the butter should be very light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed to combine. Scrape down the mixing bowl before adding the remaining dry ingredients and beat to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour in the bowl for drop cookies, or form into a 1-inch log for slice-and-bake cookies.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the turbinado sugar in a small bowl. For drop cookies, scoop the cookie dough with a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop and then dip the tops of the cookie dough balls into the sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheet.
• For slice-and-bake cookies, cut the log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Press the tops into the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies until slightly puffed and lightly golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

THE MOTHER OF ALL BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse once or twice. Add butter, and pulse 10 or 20 times, until butter and flour are well combined. Add vanilla and egg and pulse 3 or 4 times. Add about half the milk and pulse 2 or 3 times. Add the remaining milk a little at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until the dough holds together in a sticky mass.
• Remove the dough from the machine to one or more bowls. Make cookies as described in Step 3, or make any of the variations below.
• To make cookies, drop rounded teaspoons of dough (you can make the cookies larger or smaller, if you like) onto a nonstick baking sheet, a sheet lined with parchment paper or a lightly buttered sheet. If you want flat cookies, press the balls down a bit with your fingers or the back of a spatula or wooden spoon. Bake 11 minutes, or until the cookies are done as you like them. Cool on a rack, then store, if necessary, in a covered container.

EIGHT FLAVOR-RICH BUTTER COOKIES . . .

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• EASY, BASIC RECIPE.
• Cream butter.
• Add sugar gradually, cream until fluffy.
• Add unbeaten egg and vanilla. Beat well.
• Sift together dry ingredients and blend into creamed mixture.
• Divide dough in half and prepare cookies in variations you prefer:.
• BUTTER CRISPIES:.
• Chill dough. Roll half cookie dough on well-floured pastry cloth to 1/8 inch thick. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Bake about 6 minutes and cool on rack. Makes about 3 dozen.
• SNOWBALLS:.
• To half cookie dough add 1/3 cup ground walnuts. Chill. Roll dough into balls size of large marbles. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Roll at once in confectioner's sugar. Cool Roll again in sugar. Makes about 2.5 dozen.
• BUTTER FINGERS:.
• To half cookie dough add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1/4 cup chopped candied cherries. Chill. Shape into oblongs sizes of little finger. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle while hot with granulated sugar, and again when cool. Makes about 2 dozen.
• TRIXIE-TREATS:.
• Chill half dough. Mold into balls size of walnuts. Roll in mixture of 2 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 1.5 dozen.
• BUTTER THINSIES:.
• Form half dough in roll 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in wax paper and chill until firm. Slice 1/8 inch thick. Sprinkle with finely chopped nuts or coconut. Bake 6 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.
• CHOCOLATE MINT CREAMS:.
• To half recipe add 1 square unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled. Form dough in roll 2 inches in diameter. Wrap in wax paper and chill. Slice 1/8 inch thick. Bake 8 minutes. Cool. Put together with Mint Cream Filling: Cream 2 tbsps butter, 1 cup sifted confectioner's sugar, 1 tbsp cream, mint flavoring. Makes about 1.5 dozen.
• JEWEL CLUSTERS:.
• Using half dough, drop by half teaspoons on cookie sheet. Press candied fruit into each. Bake 8 minutes. Makes about 2.5 dozen.
• MOLASSES SPICE-EEZ:.
• To half dough, add 2 tbsps molasses, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg. Chill at least 1/2 hour. Roll 1/8 inch thick on well-floured surface. Cut into patterns. Bake 6 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

THE BESTEST BUTTER COOKIES (ROLLED)

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar well.
• Add egg and vanilla and beat well.
• Combine baking powder and flour.
• Add gradually to creamed mixture.
• Chill until firm.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Roll out dough to about 1/4" thickness and cut into desired shapes.
• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.
• When cool, decorate with frosting or icing if desired.

WORLD'S BEST BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until smooth and creamy.
• Mix in the egg yolk until well incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl at least once.
• Add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
• Scrape onto a lightly floured board and knead a few times, just until the dough smooths out.
• Turn onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log, wrap up and refrigerate for several hours or freeze.
• Before baking, preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Line your baking sheets with parchment.
• Slice the dough into slices about 1/8" thick and place them on the sheets about an inch apart (they won't be spreading very much, but they need air room around each cookie).
• Bake until JUST beginning to turn golden around the edges, about 16-18 minutes.
• Note: you can do many things with these cookies.
• You could roll the dough out and cut shapes.
• You could slice them even thinner and sandwich them with chocolate or jam or lemon curd.
• You could make them and then dip them half into chocolate.
• You could just make them and eat them, which is my favorite.
• Whatever you do, they will be delicious.

THE MOTHER OF ALL BUTTER COOKIES (WITH ENDLESS VARIATIONS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse once or twice. Add butter, and pulse 10 or 20 times, until butter and flour are well combined. Add vanilla and egg and pulse 3 or 4 times. Add about half the milk and pulse 2 or 3 times. Add the remaining milk a little at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until the dough holds together in a sticky mass.
• Remove the dough from the machine to one or more bowls. Make cookies as described in Step 3, or make any of the variations below.
• To make cookies, drop rounded teaspoons of dough (you can make the cookies larger or smaller, if you like) onto a nonstick baking sheet, a sheet lined with parchment paper or a lightly buttered sheet. If you want flat cookies, press the balls down a bit with your fingers or the back of a spatula or wooden spoon. Bake 11 minutes, or until the cookies are done as you like them. Cool on a rack, then store, if necessary, in a covered container.
• VARIATIONS on the flavor of these butter cookies are limitless. Here are a few suggestions:.
• Butterscotch cookies: Substitute brown sugar for half or more of the white sugar, or simply add 1 tablespoon of molasses along with the egg.
• Citrus cookies: Omit the vanilla, and add 1 tablespoon of lemon or orange juice and 2 teaspoons grated lemon or orange rind along with the egg. A couple of tablespoons of poppy seeds can also be added.
• Chocolate chip cookies: Stir in about 1 cup of chocolate chips. (The butterscotch variation is good with chocolate chips.).
• Other chunky cookies: To the finished batter, add about 1 cup of M& M's (or similar candy), roughly chopped walnuts, pecans or cashews, slivered almonds, raisins, coconut, dried cherries or cranberries. Or combine any chunky ingredients you like.
• Ginger cookies: Add 1 tablespoon ground dried ginger to the dry ingredients. For even better flavor, add 1/4 cup minced crystallized ginger to the batter by hand (this works well in addition to or in place of the ground ginger).
• Spice cookies: Add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon each ground allspice and ground ginger and 1 pinch ground cloves and mace or nutmeg to the dry ingredients.
• Or you can make rolled cookies by freezing the dough for 15 minutes or refrigerating it for at least 1 hour. Working half the dough at a time, roll it out on a lightly floured surface; the dough will absorb some flour at first but will soon become less sticky. Do not add more flour than necessary. Roll about 1/4 inch thick, and cut with cookie cutters; decorate as you like. Bake as above, reducing the cooking time to 8 to 10 minutes.