Best Ever Butter Cookies

Best Ever Butter Cookies
2384
238 Reviews
Tender butter cookies that are perfect for decorating for any occasion.
1:00
Prep Time
3:10
Total Time
36 cookies

Ingredients

Cookie

1 cup
Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
1 cup
sugar
1
large Land O Lakes® Egg
2 tablespoons
orange juice
1 tablespoon
vanilla
2 1/2 cups
all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon
baking powder

Frosting

3 cups
powdered sugar
1/3 cup
Land O Lakes® Butter, softened
1 teaspoon
vanilla
1 to 2 tablespoons
milk
Food color, if desired

Directions

  1. Combine 1 cup butter, sugar and egg in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add orange juice and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed.
  2. Divide dough into thirds. Shape each third into a ball; flatten slightly. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate 2-3 hours or until firm.
  3. Heat oven to 400°F.
  4. Roll out dough, one-third at a time, on lightly floured surface (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  5. Bake 6-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
  6. Combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla in bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often and gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Tint with food color, if desired. Frost and decorate cooled cookies as desired.

Recipe Tips

Variation:  Best Ever Butter Cookies with Glaze: 
Prepare cookies as directed above omitting frosting.  To prepare glaze, stir together 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon Land O Lakes® Butter, softened, 1 tablespoon light corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract in bowl until smooth, adding additional water, if necessary, to reach desired glazing consistency. Tint with food color, if desired. Glaze cooled cookies. Decorate as desired. Let stand 6 hours or overnight until glaze is hardened.

- To decorate cookies with only decorator sugars, sprinkle cookies with decorator sugars before baking.

- Read more about this recipe on Recipe Buzz® Blog.

Nutrition Facts (1 cookie)

Calories
150
Cholesterol
25mg
Carbohydrates
21g
Protein
1g
Fat
7g
Sodium
70mg
Dietary Fiber
0g

Recipe Comments and Reviews

Rating

I didn't make the frosting or the glaze, but this recipe for the cookies themselves are good enough to eat as is, and I really enjoyed this recipe! I didn't use cookie-cutters and instead just rolled out the dough into balls by hand. This is a wonderful recipe and I highly recommend it because the cookies turned out to be delicious.

Posted May 27, 2017 by Stephanie

Rating

I loved making these with my grandson. I see that some people say they used vanilla and almond extract. I'd like to try that. What proportions of each extract should I use?

Posted March 01, 2017 by Anne

Rating

These cookies are amazing. I added 1/2 teaspoon almond extract with the vanilla. I gave as gifts to some people and they complimented me on how good they were. This recipe is a keeper!

Posted December 18, 2016 by Miriam

Rating

I like this recipe because I can add or delete, half or over - size the ingredients.

Posted December 06, 2016 by Charles

Rating

I agree with the above reviews, this is a terrific recipe; easy for beginners and more experienced bakers to end up with a hit! The variations are myriad which makes them perfect for any occasion. I think it's the Land O'Lakes butter that makes them so good but also think the orange juice adds something special - these cookies stay fresh longer than any other butter cookies I've ever made!

Posted November 22, 2016 by Karen

Rating

Hi Jennifer, you could use freshly squeezed orange juice, or 100% orange juice from the refrigerated section of your grocery store. If you don't have any orange juice on hand, you could use milk. The orange juice just adds a nice background flavor. Happy baking!

Posted November 17, 2016 by Mallory

Rating

What kind of orange juice to use and why

Posted November 01, 2016 by JENNIFER

Test Kitchen Comment
From: Mallory
Hi Jennifer, you could use freshly squeezed orange juice, or 100% orange juice from the refrigerated section of your grocery store. If you don't have any orange juice on hand, you could use milk. The orange juice just adds a nice background flavor. Happy baking!
Posted November 17, 2016

Rating

Hi Dan, you sure can! Happy baking!

Posted September 12, 2016 by Mallory

Rating

After I separate my dough can I leave it in the fridge over night and make them in the morning?

Posted September 09, 2016 by Dan

Test Kitchen Comment
From: Mallory
Hi Dan, you sure can! Happy baking!
Posted September 12, 2016

Rating

These are truly the best butter cookies ever! I use almond extract and vanilla. It's the same recipe my mother used when I was a child. Always a favorite among friends and family.

Posted August 12, 2016 by Angela

Rating

Hi Melissa, it could be that the batter was slightly overbeaten. This would cause the air bubbles you mentioned. Hope this helps - happy baking!

Posted March 17, 2016 by Mallory

Rating

Posted March 14, 2016 by Mallory

Rating

Hi Shannon,

We actually have a recipe for gluten-free cut-outs that you could add lemon zest/juice/extract to for a lemon flavor. http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/20014/Star-Cut-Out-Cookies-(Gluten-Free-Recipe)

Hope this helps!

Happy baking!

Posted March 14, 2016 by Mallory

Rating

These cookies are fantastic! I played around a bit with the glaze flavoring and added almond extract instead of vanilla and they were also delicious. Going to try making them next time with a lemon extract and a lemon glaze for a lemon butter cookie. Quick question though. If I wanted to make some for my gluten free friends, would I need to alter the recipe at all with the gluten free flour (that already has Xanthin Gum in it)? Didn't know if I would need to alter the butter content or anything else. Thanks for your help!

Posted March 13, 2016 by Shannon

Test Kitchen Comment
From: Mallory
Hi Shannon,

We actually have a recipe for gluten-free cut-outs that you could add lemon zest/juice/extract to for a lemon flavor. http://www.landolakes.com/recipe/20014/Star-Cut-Out-Cookies-(Gluten-Free-Recipe)

Hope this helps!

Happy baking!
Posted March 14, 2016
Test Kitchen Comment
From: Mallory
Posted March 14, 2016

Rating

I have been making this recipe ever since I was a little girl. For some reason, this past week, my cookies had large air bubbles. Any idea what could have caused this?

Posted February 08, 2016 by Melissa

Test Kitchen Comment
From: Mallory
Hi Melissa, it could be that the batter was slightly overbeaten. This would cause the air bubbles you mentioned. Hope this helps - happy baking!
Posted March 17, 2016

Rating

BEST BUTTER COOKIES IN THE WORLD! Butter cookies are my favorite cookie, but you have to be careful of finding immitation butter cookies out there - - you have to make sure you have really good butter and Land O Lakes butter ia my personal favorite, therefore I believe that this butter makes these cookies the real thing. I can't make these fast enough for my grand-children.

Posted January 22, 2016 by Marianne B.

Rating

Simply the best butter cookies. Everyone loves them! One big positive is when you use cookie cutters, the dough retains its shape better than with other recipes. There is very little "spreading" or "thinning out" of the dough as it bakes. The frosting is great, as you are able to control the consistency you desire based on the amount of milk you add.

Posted January 04, 2016 by Chris

Rating

Hi Carsyn, you do not need to refrigerate the cut-outs before baking. However, if your dough has gotten too soft, you may want to refrigerate to avoid spreading in the oven. Hope this helps - happy baking!

Posted December 30, 2015 by mallory

Rating

I didn't have orange juice so I used lemon. Also, because I happen to have eggnog, I used it in the frosting, instead of milk Delicious!!

Posted December 26, 2015 by Gwen

Rating

This is our Christmas tradition butter cookies. Making them right now. thanks Land O Lakes!

Posted December 25, 2015 by Carol

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