Dutch Butter Cookies
What can I say, I love butter and I love simple. The only challenging part of these cookies is rolling the logs in the demerara sugar. Worth it though. These are a kind of an elegant little cookie.
I use a full fat European butter in these as it just makes them that much better. I mean, butter is in the name even.
These cookies are a favorite of many of my Mexican friends. I live on the border of Mexico. I make these, they disappear, and so on. I love these cookies too, but have to make them and give them away or I will eat them all.
I found this recipe about 2 years ago and when I first made them, I thought, these cookies are not much. These simple cookies grow on you very fast. I love them and make them frequently to share. They are very easy to make ahead of time and then chill and bake later. A great little cookie to have with a cup of tea or coffee.
Ingredients
2 Cups All-Purpose Flour (250 g)
½ teaspoon Baking Powder (3 g)
¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
1 Cup Salted European style Butter - 85% fat
⅔ Cups Granulated Sugar (130 g)
1 Large Egg Yolk
Demerara Sugar
Directions
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg yolk and mix until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. (the dough may look shaggy at this point and that is ok)
On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into two halves. Roll each half into a log that is 1 ½ inch in diameter. Brush off any excess flour.
Sprinkle demerara sugar onto a sheet of parchment paper. Roll each dough log in sugar until well coated. Wrap each log tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice each dough log into ¼ inch thick rounds and place on prepared baking sheets, 1-inch apart. Bake for 12 to 18 minutes or until golden brown on the bottom and edges. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly (about 5 minutes) before transferring to a cooling rack.
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
If you are using unsalted butter, increase the fine sea salt to ½ teaspoon.
Demerara sugar is a coarse sugar that is less refined than standard brown sugar.
Make sure to brush any flour off of the dough logs before rolling in demerara sugar so that the sugar will adhere to the dough log better.
These dough logs freeze beautifully. You can slice and bake these right from the freezer, no thawing required. Just make sure to add a minute to the baking time for the frozen cookies.
