Frosted Butter Cookies
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Santa called and said he would like some Frosted Butter Cookies! This is an easy small batch recipe for perfectly tender and sweet butter cookies. The cookie dough can be sliced and baked, rolled for cut-out cookies, or made into a drop cookie. Highly versatile and perfect for the holidays!
Frosted Holiday Butter Cookies
Less than 2 weeks … can you believe Christmas is less than 2 weeks away? This has been a whirlwind of a year and I don’t know if I’m happy or sad to have Christmas come and go so soon. So, to embrace the holiday season like a bear hug, I’ve been in full on baking mode since after Thanksgiving!
And these Frosted Butter Cookies are a result of the time spent in the kitchen. I wanted to try something other than a sugar cookie this year. Besides, we have a recipe already for those on the blog – Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with Maple Icing – minus the pumpkin spice if you want to make a batch for the holidays.
I like to think of these butter cookies as a cross between a shortbread cookie and sugar cookie. The best comparison I can think of is the sable cookie. So, what is the difference between these cookies and a sugar or shortbread cookie?
These butter cookies are:
- Tender – they practically melt in your mouth, and yet are sturdy enough to take on some frosting!
- Rich in butter flavor – more butter than sugar in this recipe.
- Slightly sweetened – less sugar than you would find in a sugar cookie. We are balancing that with the frosting.
- Made with an egg yolk – because of the small batch, we don’t need (want) the whole egg. And the egg yolk adds to the richness of the cookie.
- Made without any leavening – you won’t find baking powder or baking soda in these cookies. They don’t need it.
- Versatile – they can be sliced and baked, rolled for cut-out cookies, or spooned for drop cookies.
- Small batch – that said, the number of cookies you get from the dough is entirely dependent on which variety (above) you chose to make. More on that in the Tips section below.
Cookies For Santa
So when Santa called requesting a special cookie this year, I immediately went to these butter cookies. Talking about the versatility of these cookies, I opted for the slice and bake variety.
The round cookies provide easy real estate to decorate the cookies however you like. Because these butter cookies are not as sweet as sugar cookies, I thought some of my Butter Free Buttercream Frosting (in an even smaller batch!) would be a nice addition. Not to mention, it acts as the glue for the holiday sprinkles.
Now I suppose I have to make another batch. You know – because I had to taste them …
What You Need To Make A Small Batch Of Butter Cookies
Did I mention these cookies are easy to make?
Yes – the dough needs to be chilled. Why?
- Allows the dough rest after you mix it.
- Chills the butter to prevent cookie spread.
- Hydrates the dough – we want all of the ingredients to ‘meld’ together before throwing them in the oven.
- All of those ingredients ‘melding’ together makes for a more flavorful cookie.
Now on to what you need.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter – I like to use unsalted butter in baking so I can control the salt level.
- Granulated sugar – I have only tested the recipe with regular sugar.
- Egg yolk
- Vanilla extract – You could also try other extract flavors. Almond would make a lovely cookie.
- All purpose flour – I have only test the recipe with AP flour.
- Salt
- Holiday Sprinkles – Optional. Especially if you just want to make a batch on a Tuesday in April.
- Frosting – You can try my butter-free buttercream (recipe included below). Or if you prefer a store-bought container, that works too!
Tips For Making Frosted Butter Cookies
- These cookies are not super sweet! – It is worth repeating if you are expecting a traditional sugar cookie. These are not that. Which makes them great to frost with sweet buttercream.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix – Even though we are using a stand mixer, this is still a small batch and we want to make sure ingredients aren’t sticking to the sides or bottom of the mixing bowl.
- The shape of the dough is up to you – I made slice and bake cookies for this recipe. However, the cookie dough can be rolled out for cut-out cookies, or scooped using a cookie scoop for drop cookies. For cut-out cookies, bake time will be about 7-9 minutes, depending on how thick you roll the dough. Watch for cookie doneness when the edges start to turn golden.
- Use a paper towel tube – If you choose the slice and bake cookie, to get the perfect circle, you can put the dough log inside a sliced open paper towel tube to keep the shape while the dough is chilling. I should have done this. Hee hee.
- Chill the dough – I’ve talked about this ad nauseum. Wink.
- The frosting is optional – You could use store-bought frosting, royal icing, or a simple glaze to top the cookies. Totally up to you!
Sure hope Santa enjoys these cookies!
Frosted Butter Cookies
by Erin Cernich
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
Instructions
- In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment-, add the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue to mix until the egg is full incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 large egg yolk, room temperature, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the salt, then slowly sprinkle in half of the flour. Let it mix until the dough starts to get crumbly, then add the remaining flour, scraping down the bowl as needed. Let the dough mix for about a minute until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be soft and similar to sugar cookie dough.1 cup, plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pour the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Cover it with the long edges of the plastic wrap and start to roll it into a log by rolling it back and forth on the countertop. Roll it into a 6-inch log, which makes cookie discs about 2 inches round. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap shut, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the cookies about 1/4-inch thick, and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- One baking sheet at a time, bake the cookies for 12 to 14 minutes, or until the bottom edges just start to turn golden. While the first batch of cookies is baking, refrigerate the other baking sheet of cookies until ready.
- Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for about 15 minutes, or until they are cool enough to handle. Then transfer to the rack to cool completely.
- Frosting options for the cookies: cream cheese cookie frosting, vanilla buttercream, or butter-free vanilla frosting.
- Store unfrosted cookies covered at room temperature for up to 5 days. For frosted cookies, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days (they will dry out faster in the refrigerator).
Notes
- Serving Size – This small batch recipe can be doubled. If so, use two egg yolks instead of one whole egg.
- Yield – This recipe will yield 12 to 16 cookies, depending on how thick you cut them. I recommend cookies that are at least 1/4 inch thick.
- Versatile Dough – The dough can be: sliced and baked, rolled out for cut-out cookies, or spooned for dropped cookies. Drop cookies may take a minute or two longer to get light golden edges.
- Freezing the Dough – After the dough has chilled, place it, still wrapped, in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- Freezing Baked Cookies – The cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Undecorated cookies: place in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Decorated cookies: layer them in a large Tupperware or freezer bag, with parchment in between layers. Freeze flat. Thaw in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature to serve.
Nutrition Estimates
TRY THESE SMALL BATCH RECIPES NEXT!
About the Author …
Hi, I’m Erin! With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers. I’ve tested, written, and photographed every one of the 300+ recipes on my website. And even had some of my desserts featured on Taste of Home, The Spruce Eats, ELLE, Parade, and more! From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you.
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