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 holiday's!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time9 minutesmins
Chill Time2 hourshrs
Total Time2 hourshrs24 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Butter Cookie, Buttercream Frosting, Christmas, Holiday, Small Batch
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 an fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated - scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Turn the mixer down to low speed and sprinkle in the salt, then flour in a few increments - letting the flour mix in before adding the next increment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. After adding the last increment of flour, let the dough mix for about a minute until it starts to form a rough dough. The dough will be crumbly.
Turn off the mixer and gently knead the dough together with your hands until it forms a ball. Place the dough ball on a piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a 6 inch round log. Tightly wrap it with the plastic wrap and continue to form the log shape by rolling the dough on the counter to get the round shape. Refrigerate the dough log for at least two hours, or overnight. We want it to be nice and chilled to slice and bake it. You can also freeze it.
15 minutes before you are ready to slice and bake the cookies - preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a sharp chef's knife, slice the chilled dough log into (at least) 1/4 inch thick cookies. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
One baking sheet at a time - bake the cookies for 9-12 minutes, or until the edges just start to golden. High altitude - check the cookies at 9 minutes as they may not take as long to bake. Note - while the first baking sheet of cookies are baking, refrigerate the other baking sheet of cookies until ready.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the cooling rack to cool completely.
Butter-Free Buttercream Frosting
While the cookies are done baking and cooling, make the frosting. Or the frosting can be made the day before.
Note - Refrigerating the can of coconut milk overnight causes the liquid and coconut solids to separate – we are only using the coconut solids to make the frosting. You will have extra coconut milk solids and liquid which can be used in smoothies.
In a small saucepan, add the coconut milk solids and coconut oil. Heat over medium-low heat until the mixture has melted. Do not boil.
Transfer the mix to a small mixing bowl and add the vanilla extract. Cool for about 5 minutes in the refrigerator or on the counter.
Add the powdered sugar in increments (to avoid mess!) - Using a handheld mixer, beat until the frosting is light and fluffy – about 3-5 minutes, and until you reach your desired consistency. If you prefer a stiffer frosting, add more powdered sugar a teaspoon at a time.
The frosting is ready to use right away, or it can be refrigerated. If refrigerating, transfer to an airtight container and the frosting can be kept for up to a week. When ready to use, allow the frosting to come to room temperature to loosen up.
Frost the cooled cookies with the frosting and sprinkle with holiday sprinkles. Happy Holidays!
Notes
These cookies are not overly sweet! The buttercream frosting nicely balances the sweetness of these cookies.
This cookie dough is versatile and can be: sliced and baked, rolled out for cut-out cookies, or spooned for dropped 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.
The number of cookies can vary, however this is still a small batch. Depending on how large or small your form the dough log and how thick you cut the cookies, you can get more or less cookies.
The buttercream frosting is totally optional. You can use store-bought, royal icing, or a simple glaze on these cookies.
Freezing the Cookie Dough - The cookie dough can be frozen - for up to 3 months. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap generously in plastic wrap, and place in a Ziploc bag to freeze.
Freezing Baked Cookies - Baked un-decorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Either in a Tupperware, or gently placed in a Ziploc bag. Defrost the cookies at room temperature – may take 1 to 3 hours.