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Danish Butter Cookies

Emma Essence
Danish butter cookies that are light, buttery, and melt in your mouth, even better than the royal blue tin of cookies!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Dough Freeze Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Danish
Servings 36 cookies

Equipment

  • Rolling pin
  • Hand mixer or stand mixer
  • Cookie cutter
  • Pastry brush

Ingredients
  

  • 2 sticks unsalted butter cold
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour plus more for rolling
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon water
  • ¼ cup sanding, sparkling, or coarse sugar

Instructions
 

  • In a large bowl using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on low speed until fluffy and light in color.
  • Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 1 egg and the vanilla extract, and beat until combined.
  • With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and salt and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again to ensure the dough is evenly mixed.
  • Remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a smooth rectangle. Place between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll into a rectangle about 9x12 and ¼ inch thick. Place the dough, still in the parchment paper, on a baking sheet. Freeze until firm for about 20 minutes, or refrigerate for about 2 hours.
  • Meantime, preheat the oven to 350F and prepare the egg wash. In a small bowl, combine the egg and 1 teaspoon water.
  • Remove the dough from the freezer/fridge and remove the top parchment paper. Using a cookie cutter or cookie stamp of your choice, cut out your cookies, placing each one evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes until firm and lightly golden. Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before serving.
Keyword Butter, cookies