Butter Cookies - 4 Ways
Basic Butter Cookie Recipe
Active: 30
Total: 3 hours
Yield: About 60 cookies
Ingredients
1 1⁄4 cups (142 g) powdered sugar
1 1⁄2 cups (3 sticks) salted Zeal Creamery butter, softened
2 large egg yolks, whites reserved or discarded
1⁄2 tsp kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
3 1⁄4 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
Directions
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the powdered sugar, softened butter, egg yolks,
salt, and vanilla extract. Use the whisk attachment to beat on medium high, about 2
minutes. Gradually add in the flour on low speed for two minutes more, until a dough
forms.
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently press together. Divide the
dough into two mounds and shape into round discs. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and set
in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
3. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and remove the dough from the
refrigerator. Let it soften at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, until you can just
slightly press into it with your finger and is still cold, but not rock hard.
4. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough to about an
1⁄8 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut shapes and arrange on a parchment lined cookie
sheet about a 1⁄4 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until just barely beginning to
brown around the edges. Re-roll and cut any scrap dough pieces.
Tie Dye Glaze
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 3 cups of icing
Ingredients
3 cups powdered sugar, divided
9 tbsp milk
Food coloring, as needed (2-3 colors of your choice)
Directions
1. In 3 medium bowls, combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tbsp milk, and the varying food
color of your choice. Whisk the contents of each bowl until no lumps remain and adjust
food coloring if desired.
2. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the first color of glaze onto the center of a plate. Then Drizzle
about 1 tsp of the second color over top of the first. Repeat with the third color. Use a
toothpick to gently swirl the colors around. Don’t agitate or combine the colors too much
because the tye-dye won't be as apparent.
3. Invert a butter cookie and gently dip it into the 3 swirled colors of glaze. Allow any excess
glaze to drip away and then set the glazed cookie on a wire rack to dry. Repeat with about
2 more cookies.
4. At this point the tye dye will not be as vibrant, so clean off the plate and make another
round of swirled glaze. Repeat the process with another 2-3 cookies and until the
remaining cookies are glazed.
Stained Glass Aquarium Cookies
Stained Glass Aquarium Cookies
Active time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: About 15 cookies (depending on size)
Ingredients
7 oz bag of Jolly Ranchers
Directions
1. Separate Jolly Rancher candies by color and remove plastic wrappers. Place each color in
a resealable bag and smash into crystal size pieces with a rolling pin.
2. Cut butter cookie dough into desired shapes, then use a smaller cookie cutter of the same
shape to cut out the center..
3. Arrange cookie cutouts onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Fill “windows” with varying
colors of crushed Jolly Rancher.
4. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
Raspberry Cutouts
Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: about 10 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
1⁄2 cup raspberry jam
1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
Directions
1. Using the straight edge of a pastry wheel, cut butter cookies into 11⁄4x2” rectangles.
2. Use a small circular cookie cutter to cut holes into half of the rectangle’s.
3. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
4. Once cool, spread about a teaspoon of raspberry jam on each uncut cookie. Using a fine
mesh sieve, dust the cookies with the hole removed with powdered sugar.
5. Top the raspberry coated cookie halves with the powdered sugar coated halves to make a
sandwich.
Cranberry Wreath
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: About 20 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
Few drops of burgundy or red food dye
1⁄4 cup burgundy sanding sugar
1⁄4 cup red sugar pearls
Directions
1. Cut cookie butter dough into 2-3 inch rounds, use a smaller round cookie cutter to
remove the center. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
2. Once cool and ready to decorate, make the icing. Combine powdered sugar, milk, and
food dye in a medium bowl. Place the icing in a piping bag.
3. Set the sanding sugar and sugar pearls in small bowls. Coat the cookie rounds with icing
then dip into the sanding sugar. Add outward lines of icing around the wreath and dip
into the sugar pearls.