Decadent Delights: Exploring the Best Butter Cookie Recipes in Chicago

Butter cookies, often referred to as shortbread cookies, are among the finest treats for the Fall and Winter seasons, holidays, or special occasions. Growing up in Chicago, butter cookies were a constant favorite snack for school lunches. These delicious and irresistible treats were frequently available in Chicago's local neighborhoods and were a Winter season favorite. Today, I'll guide you on how to prepare these delightful treats to enjoy with your family or friends.

Ingredients Used in Butter Cookies

Shortbread cookies, commonly referred to as butter cookies, are a traditional cookie variety known for their rich buttery taste and delicate, crumbly texture. The recipe for these cookies is quite simple, with butter serving as a crucial ingredient.

Butter cookies can take on different shapes and flavors. Typically, they are formed into a log, chilled, and sliced into rounds, or they can be rolled out and cut into different shapes with cookie cutters. Flavor variations can include additions like lemon zest, almond extract, or chocolate chips.

Once the dough is shaped and flavored, it is usually baked in the oven until the cookies have a light golden color around the edges. Butter cookies are famous for their melt-in-your-mouth texture and crumbly nature, making them a cherished treat, whether eaten alone or with a cup of tea or coffee.

Check out the 5 essential ingredients needed for the basic butter cookie recipe below.

5 Ingredients Used in Simple Butter Cookie Recipe

Butter

Unsalted butter is commonly used to give cookies their rich, buttery taste. The butter's quality can significantly affect the cookies' flavor and texture. Ensure you use high-quality butter, such as USDA Grades AA or A, when baking butter cookies.

Learn about the different types of butter in our article The Science Behind Fats in Baking: How They Affect Texture, Flavor, and Leavening.

Granulated Sugar

Granulated sugar is typically used to sweeten cookies. Avoid using raw or coarse sugar, as it is hard to cream with butter and results in a lumpy texture and mixture. When making the cookie dough, cream the granulated sugar with the butter to achieve a smooth, uniform mixture.

Flour

All-purpose flour serves as the main dry component, giving the cookies their structure. It is combined with the butter and sugar mixture to create the dough. Pastry flour or cake flour can also be used for making butter cookies. The low protein content in these finely textured flours contributes to a soft, fine-textured cookie. For more information on these excellent flours for baking, read the Three Premium Flour Brands for the Perfect Baking Results.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is frequently used to boost the flavor of butter cookies, imparting a delightful and aromatic vanilla taste. You can buy vanilla extract at your local grocery store or make it yourself at home. Either option will add excellent flavor to the melt-in-your-mouth butter cookies.

Fine Salt

Fine salt is an excellent addition to a basic butter cookie recipe. A small quantity of salt is typically included to balance the sweetness and enhance the cookies' overall flavor.

What is the Origin of Butter Cookies

Pinpointing the exact origin of butter cookies is challenging, as different cultures have been making variations of these cookies for centuries. Shortbread cookies, the predecessor to today's butter cookies, have a rich history in Scotland, traditionally crafted with only three ingredients: butter, sugar, and flour. Despite the passage of centuries, butter cookies have preserved their traditional form.

One of the oldest recorded shortbread recipes originates from 16th-century Scotland. At first, shortbread was considered a luxury item, typically enjoyed during special events like weddings and holidays, because of the expensive cost of its main ingredient, butter. The word "short" in shortbread describes the crumbly texture created by the generous use of butter in the recipe.

The creation of butter cookies in diverse shapes and flavors likely resulted from the contributions of various cultures and bakers over time. The incorporation of flavorings such as vanilla, along with ingredients like nuts or chocolate chips, would have developed as individuals experimented with the fundamental shortbread recipe.

In Denmark, Danish butter cookies became famous for their unique round, flat shape and iconic tins, which rose to popularity in the mid-20th century.

To sum up, butter cookies, as a type of cookie, do not have one specific inventor. Instead, they developed over time as different versions of shortbread across various regions and cultures. Today, they remain a cherished treat globally.

How Do Butter Cookies Differ from Sugar Cookies?

A while ago, I remember searching for a basic butter cookie recipe, but most of the results I found were for sugar cookies. I enjoy both butter and sugar cookies. Though both are popular, they vary greatly in terms of ingredients, flavor, texture, appearance, and how they can be customized.

Discover the four types of differences between butter cookies and sugar cookies by reading below.

1. Ingredients

Butter Cookies: True to their name, butter is a key component in butter cookies. These cookies often have a greater amount of butter compared to flour, giving them a rich and buttery taste. The dough is quite straightforward and doesn't necessarily require eggs.

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Sugar Cookies: Sugar cookies feature a more balanced combination of ingredients. In addition to butter, they typically contain eggs, granulated sugar, and occasionally a bit of baking powder or baking soda. These cookies are generally sweeter than butter cookies because of their higher sugar content.

2. Flavor

Butter Cookies: Renowned for their rich, buttery flavor, butter cookies are defined by this characteristic. Their mild sweetness enhances the buttery taste.

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Sugar Cookies: With a higher sugar content, sugar cookies have a sweeter flavor. They offer a more neutral taste than butter cookies and can be personalized with different flavorings such as vanilla, almond extract, or citrus zest.

3. Texture

Butter Cookies: Butter cookies possess a soft and crumbly texture. They typically dissolve in your mouth and are recognized for their delicate, nearly sandy consistency.

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Sugar Cookies: Sugar cookies are typically softer and have a chewy texture, particularly when baked correctly. They can be rolled out and shaped into different forms without compromising their structure.

4. Appearance

Butter Cookies: Butter cookies typically have a plain look and can be round, rectangular, or shaped into basic forms. They may occasionally be adorned with a sprinkle of sugar or a light glaze.

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Sugar Cookies: Known for their decorative versatility, sugar cookies can be rolled and shaped into detailed designs, making them a favored option for holiday and special occasion treats. These cookies are frequently adorned with icing, sprinkles, or colored sugar.

5. Customization

Butter Cookies: Butter cookies offer less flexibility in shape and decoration. Typically, they are more plain than sugar cookies.

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Sugar Cookies: Sugar cookies are very versatile and are frequently decorated with royal icing, allowing for detailed designs and the addition of food coloring to achieve bright colors.

Both butter cookies and sugar cookies are delightful, yet they possess unique qualities. Butter cookies are celebrated for their rich buttery taste and crumbly consistency, while sugar cookies are sweeter, more adaptable for decoration, and have a chewier texture when baked properly. The decision between the two usually hinges on personal taste and the event. Spend some time making both butter and sugar cookies to experience the differences in texture and flavor firsthand.

Top 4 Icing Suggestions for Butter Cookies

When it comes to decorating butter cookies, you can select from various icing options based on the look and taste you want to achieve. Below are four popular icing types for decorating butter cookies.

Royal Icing

Royal icing is a traditional option for cookie decoration. It hardens to a smooth finish, giving a refined appearance. This icing is made with powdered sugar, egg whites (or meringue powder), and a little water. It can be piped onto cookies for detailed designs, flooded to cover bigger areas, and tinted with food coloring. It's perfect for complex and detailed decorations and can provide a shiny finish.

Buttercream Icing

Although buttercream is typically used to frost cakes and cupcakes, it is also great for decorating butter cookies. Its soft and creamy texture makes it ideal for achieving a more textured and informal look. You can pipe buttercream onto cookies to form rosettes, swirls, or any decorative shapes you wish. Furthermore, buttercream can be enhanced with different extracts or additions like chocolate or fruit puree for added flavor. The baking world offers endless possibilities, so let your creativity shine.

Decorative Gel Icing

Decorative gel icing or writing icing is a pre-made icing available in tubes and a variety of colors. It's ideal for adding fine details, writing messages, or creating simple designs on cookies. These gels are commonly used for fast and effortless decorating.

Colored Sugar or Sprinkles

For an easy and fast method to enhance your butter cookies with color and texture, consider using colored sugar or sprinkles. Just scatter them over the cookies after spreading a thin layer of icing or while the icing remains wet.

Your icing selection should consider your skill level, the look you want, and the occasion. Royal icing and buttercream offer flexibility for creative decorations, detailed designs, and a shiny finish, whereas decorative gel icing and colored sugar are simple and convenient choices for beginners. Think about your preferences and the style you aim to achieve when choosing icing for your butter cookies.

Simple Butter Cookie Recipe

Experience our easy butter cookie recipe that dissolves in your mouth. It's a Danish butter cookie crafted with just 5 ingredients. This recipe produces approximately 24-36 cookies, based on the size of your cookie cutter.

Ingredients:

1. 1 Cup (226 g) Unsalted Butter, softened

2. ½ Cup (100 g) Granulated Sugar

3. 2 ¼ Cup (280 g) All-purpose Flour

4. ¼ tsp (1.5 g) Fine Salt

5. 2 tsp (8 g) Vanilla Extract (optional, for flavor)

Directions:

1. Preheat the Oven:

Set your oven to 350°F (175°C) to preheat. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or apply a light layer of grease.

2. Cream the Butter and Sugar:

In a large mixing bowl or stand electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. Add Vanilla Extract (Optional):

To incorporate a touch of vanilla flavor, you may stir in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract at this point. This step is optional, and you can omit it if you prefer plain butter cookies.

4. Combine Dry Ingredients:

In another bowl, mix the all-purpose flour and salt by whisking them together.

5. Combine the Dough:

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture. Stir until a soft dough forms, ensuring not to overmix; the dough should just come together.

6. Chill the Dough:

Form the dough into a disc or rectangle, then cover it with plastic wrap. Place the dough in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. Cooling the dough simplifies handling and ensures the cookies maintain their shape while baking.

7. Roll and Cut the Cookies:

Roll out the chilled dough on a surface lightly dusted with flour to your preferred thickness, typically around 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and arrange them on the baking sheet you've prepared. You can gather and reroll the leftover dough to cut more shapes until it's completely used up.

8. Bake:

Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes, or until the edges begin to become a light golden brown. Monitor them closely, as baking times can differ based on the size and thickness of your cookies.

9. Cool:

Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool fully.

10. Decorate (Optional):

After the cookies have fully cooled, you can adorn them with icing, sprinkles, or savor them as they are.

11. Store:

Keep the butter cookies in a sealed container at room temperature to ensure they remain fresh for several days.

In Summary,

Butter cookies, beloved across many cultures, are a timeless treat with delightful variations such as Danish butter cookies, Scottish shortbread, and Italian butter cookies. Known for their buttery richness and melt-in-your-mouth sandy texture, these cookies are a staple of holiday traditions and a perfect choice for gifting. Let your creativity shine by experimenting with shapes, decorations, and packaging to match any occasion.

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