World's Best Butter Cookies
I tested 8 different butter cookie recipes, looking for the "perfect" butter cookie. It had to be buttery, a little crumbly (like shortbread), and not too sweet. This is the winner. I think these are the World's Best Butter Cookies, courtesy of Chef Alice Medrich.
I tested 8 different butter cookie recipes, looking for the "perfect" butter cookie. It had to be buttery, a little crumbly (like shortbread), and not too sweet. This is the winner. I think these are the World's Best Butter Cookies, courtesy of Chef Alice Medrich.
- Carbohydrate 3.9756277002911 g
- Cholesterol 15.9305582775 mg
- Fat 4.50877492349382 g
- Fiber 0.140717016551599 g
- Protein 0.667346564631342 g
- Saturated Fat 2.779110599831 g
- Serving Size 1 1 cookie (13g)
- Sodium 69.0037899522269 mg
- Sugar 3.8349106837395 g
- Trans Fat 0.351099999110347 g
- Calories 59 calories
Step-by-step
- 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 325degreesF.
- 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.
Why does the dough crack along the edges when sliced into 1/8-inch rounds? Achieving a precise cut requires chilling the wrapped log until it reaches an internal temperature of 38degreesF, ensuring the high butterfat content remains rigid under the blade. Developed through rigorous testing by pastry authority Alice Medrich, this formula relies on strict ratios to mimic the sandy, crumbly texture of a classic French sablé.
Technique and Temperature Control
Working the all-purpose flour requires exact restraint. Mixing the flour just until incorporated prevents gluten strands from forming, which would otherwise yield a tough cookie instead of a tender bite. Scrape down the bowl thoroughly after adding the single egg yolk to guarantee uniform emulsification of the fats and liquids. Space the raw slices one inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, as minimal chemical leavening means lateral spread is almost non-existent.
- Bake at 325degreesF for 16 to 18 minutes until the rims display a pale amber tint.
- Freeze unbaked logs for up to two months wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.
- Slice cold logs with a heavy, sharp chef's knife rather than a serrated blade to avoid crumbling.
