Grandma's Secret Butter Cookies (Printable)

Tender, buttery treats that melt in your mouth with delicate sweetness—just like Grandma made them.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

→ Wet Ingredients

03 - 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
04 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
05 - 1 large egg yolk
06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Optional Finishing

07 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar, for dusting

# Directions:

01 - Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and salt until well blended.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.
04 - Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
05 - Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together. Do not overmix.
06 - Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
07 - Gently press each ball with the tines of a fork or the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly.
08 - Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just turning golden. Do not overbake for optimal tenderness.
09 - Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Dust cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar, if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These cookies manage to be both incredibly tender and somehow still substantial enough to feel like a real treat
  • The dough comes together in minutes but tastes like something that required much more effort and skill
  • They freeze beautifully so you can keep an emergency stash for unexpected guests or personal cookie emergencies
02 -
  • Room temperature butter is non negotiable here, cold butter will not cream properly and your cookies will be dense rather than tender
  • Overbaking is the enemy, these cookies continue to firm up as they cool so pull them out when they still look slightly underdone
  • The dough firms up in the refrigerator, so if it becomes too soft to work with, chill it for 15 minutes before scooping
03 -
  • Scoop all the dough balls before you start baking so they all go into the oven at the same size
  • Rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking for even browning
  • Use a cookie scoop for perfectly uniform cookies that bake evenly

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