Grandma's Secret Butter Cookies (Printable)

Tender, buttery cookies that melt in your mouth. Rich, delicately sweet, and perfect for any occasion.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

02 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

03 - 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

04 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar

05 - 1 large egg yolk

06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

07 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar for dusting

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

02 - Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly blended.

03 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes.

04 - Mix in egg yolk and vanilla extract until fully incorporated into the butter mixture.

05 - Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing just until dough forms. Do not overmix.

06 - Roll tablespoon-sized portions of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

07 - Gently press each dough ball with fork tines or glass bottom to slightly flatten.

08 - Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are just turning golden. Remove promptly to prevent overbaking.

09 - Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

10 - Lightly dust cooled cookies with powdered sugar if desired.

01 -

These cookies practically melt on your tongue, with a buttery richness that feels indulgent without being cloyingly sweet
The dough comes together in minutes and requires zero special skills or equipment beyond a basic bowl and spoon

02 -

Overbaking is the enemy here—pull them out when the centers still look slightly underdone because they continue cooking on the hot pan
Room temperature ingredients make all the difference between cookies that spread beautifully and ones that stay in sad little mounds

03 -

Weighing your flour instead of using cup measures eliminates the most common reason cookies turn out wrong
Rotate your baking sheets halfway through for perfectly even browning