I’m a mom to four kids in college. We have the bases covered with a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior and three of the four kids are at school out of state. Occasionally I’ll throw together a care package of cookies to send them. Let’s begin by disclaiming I am not a “kitchen person“. I can cook (and when I say that, I mean I can follow a recipe). Usually, a care package of mine consists of pre-made cookie dough that you just break apart and put in oven (and sadly, I’ve messed those up before). Well, not anymore! Thanks to Jenny Reimold‘s butter cookie recipe she shared over the holidays, I’ve upped my cookie game and can send the kids homemade cookie care packages that I can be proud of! Not sure where Jenny got this butter cookie recipe as she is also a self proclaimed “non kitchen person”. However, since I got it from her, she gets the recognition and well deserved credit for the recipe cuz the cookies are legit. Here is Jenny’s butter cookie recipe. An easy, goof proof, yummy butter cookie that works for any occasion (just switch up the cookie cutter for holidays or special events). YUM.
BUTTER COOKIE RECIPE
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 TBSP orange juice
- 1 TBSP vanilla
- 2.5 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Best to use ingredients that are room temperature. Not a deal breaker but cookies will be better if you do. I don’t know why…they just are. Mix all ingredients together. Throw everything in a bowl and use a stand mixer if you have one. Once ingredients are incorporated together take out of bowl and form into ball. Wrap dough ball up in plastic wrap and place in fridge to chill for a couple hours. Once chilled, roll out dough about 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutter of choice to stamp out dough and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Preheat oven and bake 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let cook, remove from cookie sheet and frost. Makes approx 30 cookies.
ICING RECIPE
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1-2 TBSP milk
- 3 cup powdered sugar
TIPS
- For soft chewy cookies (which I prefer) only bake until they are barely cooked. Edges will be very light brown. Usually between 9-10 minutes for my oven.
- Only bake one tray of cookies at a time. If you try to stack multiple trays on multiple shelves in your oven the cookies will bake unevenly. I’ve tried to save time and cook multiple trays at once. It never works.
- Always line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Chill dough for two hours prior to baking.
- Flour counter top to roll out dough or spread the flour on wax paper for less mess.
- Let cool completely before frosting.
- I don’t have a fancy cookie decorating kit. I put frosting in a sandwich ziplock, snip a small bit off the corner and use that as a piping bag. My icing is not fancy. I usually just swish lines of frosting across the cookies.
- To fill the ziplock bags of icing I place the bag in a red solo cup so it “stands” up for me to fill it with the icing.
