Description

This Basic Butter Cookie recipe yields tender, buttery cookies with a delicate crumb and subtle almond and vanilla flavors. Using a combination of cake flour and almond flour, these cookies offer a soft texture with just the right amount of sweetness. The dough can be prepared using either a food processor or a stand mixer, then chilled, sliced, and baked to golden perfection. Perfect for tea time or any occasion that calls for a simple, classic cookie.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 cups / 250g Cake Flour
1/2 cup / 60g Almond Flour
1/2 tsp Ground Vanilla
A pinch of Salt

Wet Ingredients

1 stick / 115g Unsalted Butter, small cubed
1/2 cup / 115g Caster Sugar
1 medium Egg (about 50g), beaten

Instructions

Prepare Ingredients: Measure and gather all the ingredients. If using the stand mixer method, allow the butter to soften at room temperature before proceeding.
Mixing with Food Processor: Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until the butter and flours combine into a crumbly texture.
Form Dough: Transfer the crumbly dough onto a sheet of cling wrap, then wrap it tightly and shape into a long cylinder approximately 1.5 inches (4 cm) in diameter.
Roll and Chill Dough: Roll the cylinder with a bamboo sushi mat for a smooth shape. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour to firm up for easier slicing.
Preheat Oven: Start preheating the oven to 374°F (190°C).
Prepare for Baking: After chilling, remove the cling wrap and roll the dough cylinder in granulated sugar to coat the surface evenly.
Slice Cookies: Slice the dough into 0.2 inch (5 mm) thick pieces using a sharp knife.
Bake: Place the sliced cookies onto a silicone mat-lined oven tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) on the middle rack for about 18 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.
Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Alternative Stand Mixer Method: Soften butter in a mixing bowl. Add caster sugar and beat with the whisk attachment until creamy. Incorporate the beaten egg in three additions, mixing well each time. Sift in cake and almond flour along with vanilla and salt, then switch to the beater attachment to combine into dough. Continue from shaping, chilling, and baking as instructed above.

Notes

Chilling the dough is essential for slicing cleanly and maintaining shape during baking.
Rolling the dough in sugar before slicing creates a sweet, slightly crunchy coating on the cookies.
Using cake flour instead of regular flour results in a tender, delicate crumb.
The almond flour adds a subtle nutty flavor and moist texture to the cookies.
Ensure butter is cold when using the food processor method and softened when using the stand mixer for best texture.
Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Western

Keywords: Butter cookie, basic cookie recipe, almond flour cookies, homemade cookies, simple butter cookies, classic cookie recipe