Description
Danish Butter Cookies are classic melt-in-your-mouth treats known for their delicate, crisp texture and buttery flavor. This recipe combines European salted butter with a mix of all-purpose and cake flour to achieve the perfect balance of crispness and tenderness. The dough is piped into charming shapes, chilled to prevent spreading, and then baked to a light golden perfection. Perfect for gifting or enjoying with tea, these cookies are simple to make yet incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Butter and Sugar Mixture
- 1 cup (227 g) European salted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons (10 g) vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) whole milk, plus more if needed
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (220 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (50 g) cake flour
For Decoration
- Coarse sugar for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Prep Work: Clear space in your refrigerator to chill baking sheets with cookies and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prepare for baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream the room temperature butter on medium speed until smooth. Slowly add sugar and salt on low speed, then increase to medium speed and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Add Egg Yolks, Vanilla, and Milk: While mixing, add egg yolks, vanilla extract, and milk to the creamed butter. Mix on medium speed until fully combined, scraping down the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Mix and Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour and cake flour in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture in two batches. Mix on low speed until just combined with no streaks of flour. If the dough is too stiff to pipe, add an additional tablespoon of milk to soften.
- Pipe Cookies: Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch open star tip. Pipe 2-inch shapes on prepared baking sheets, leaving 2 inches between each. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. Refrigerate the shaped cookies for 20-30 minutes to prevent excessive spreading during baking.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), placing the oven rack in the middle position.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 10-15 minutes or until the edges are just lightly golden brown. Keep an eye on baking times as shapes and sizes vary.
- Cool: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.
Notes
- Use room temperature butter for smooth mixing; about 67°F (19°C) is ideal.
- Bring eggs to room temperature for even baking; soak in warm water for 5 minutes if needed.
- Avoid overmixing to prevent tough cookies caused by excess gluten development.
- Watch cookies closely while baking since sizes and shapes affect bake time.
- You may substitute cake flour with additional all-purpose flour (total 260g) for a slightly different texture.
- Measure flour accurately using a kitchen scale or spoon and level method to avoid dry, crumbly dough.
- If using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt to the recipe.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Chilled, shaped cookies can be stored in the fridge up to 2 days before baking; cover well for longer chill times.
- You can freeze shaped, unbaked dough for 2-3 months and bake directly from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to baking time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 11 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
