Best Ever Butter Cookies

Best Ever Butter Cookies
2334
233 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

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

Rating

I love the butter cookies and the members at my church love them to.

Posted December 24, 2015 by Carolyn

Rating

Do i have to refrigerate the cookies before baking?

Posted December 24, 2015 by Carsyn

Test Kitchen Comment
From: mallory
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

Rating

I'm not the best baker and I had trouble rolling these out. They stuck to the roller and counter. I kept adding more and more flour and I think that affected the end result. They were a little like sawdust! But, I haven't decorated them yet. I'm sure the "frosting" will help.

Posted December 22, 2015 by Lisa

Rating

I make this recipe every year and all of the statements are true, this is the absolute best recipe. One of the reasons it's so good, a beginner will have the same results as someone that's baked for years. This recipe was my very first hommade cookie and the results were amazing. For Christmas I use Holly and Christmas tree cookie cutters, then I melt Ghirardelli chocolate chips in a glass bowl in the microwave and dip each finished cookie in halfwqy lengthwise. Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pop in the freezer 15 minutes to set. The results look professional and taste delicious. Also, the cookies seem to get better with age.

Posted December 21, 2015 by Fanny

Rating

Melt in your mouth delicious! I had to use a lot of flour in order to cut them out with cookie cutters, but they baked beautifully and are delicious on their own.

Posted December 20, 2015 by Lisa

Rating

I have used this recipe since I found it on the Land O Lakes butter carton many years ago - too many to admit! Classic and cherished ;)

Posted December 19, 2015 by Laura

Rating

I always made different cookie recipes every year . Never Again! I always make this recipe since the first time I tried it . I fell in love with it. I do add a little almond flavoring too (1/4 tsp).

Posted December 11, 2015 by Suzy

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