Description
Classic Danish Butter Cookies that are light, crisp, and delicate with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Made with just 4 simple ingredients and an easy creaming method, these cookies are perfect for any occasion and deliver a buttery, sweet flavor with a beautifully piped shape.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- ½ cup butter (at room temperature)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cake flour OR all-purpose flour (divided)
Instructions
- Prepare butter: Take the butter out of the refrigerator at least one hour before baking. It should be soft to the touch, but not melted, to ensure proper creaming.
- Cream butter and sugar: Using a handheld or stand mixer, cream the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract together for 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture, indicating it is aerated well for a tender cookie.
- Add flour: Sift the flour in small portions (approximately 1/3 cup or 40g at a time) and gently fold it into the creamed butter mixture using a spatula. Continue folding gradually until all the flour is incorporated and forms a consistent dough.
- Shape dough for piping: Transfer the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it into a log. Cut a small hole at one end of the plastic wrap and insert it into a piping bag fitted with a flower-tipped nozzle to facilitate piping the dough into decorative shapes.
- Pipe cookies: Pipe the dough onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment/baking paper using a 1M open star piping tip. If the dough feels too stiff or hard to pipe, add a tablespoon of warm milk to soften it for easier piping.
- Chill cookies: Place the baking sheet with piped cookies in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up the dough, which helps prevent spreading during baking and maintains the delicate piped shapes.
- Optionally add sugar: Before baking, optionally sprinkle granulated sugar on the cookies to add a touch of sparkle and extra sweetness.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C, 148°C fan). Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until their edges begin to turn a light golden color, indicating they are perfectly baked and crisp.
- Cool and store: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on it for 10 minutes. Once cooled, serve immediately or store the cookies in an airtight container to preserve freshness.
Notes
- These cookies are light, crisp, and delicate, offering a melt-in-your-mouth experience with just four basic ingredients.
- Use cake flour for a more tender texture, but all-purpose flour works well too.
- Letting the butter soften properly is crucial for achieving the right creamed texture.
- The chilling step is important to keep the piped shapes intact during baking.
- Adding a tablespoon of warm milk can make the dough easier to pipe if it feels too stiff.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 47 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 9 mg
- Fat: 1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.5 g
- Cholesterol: 1 mg
