Soft, buttery, and lightly sweet, these vanilla butter cookies are perfect for decorating with beautiful pastel icing. Ideal for spring and special occasions.
Ingredients for Vanilla Butter Cookies
This recipe (1X) yields 24 cookies
- Cookie Dough
- 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.25 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 0.75 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Pastel Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tbsp corn syrup
- 0.5 tsp vanilla
- Food coloring
Instructions
Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (350°F) and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until fully combined.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a smooth dough forms. If needed, chill the dough for 20–30 minutes.
Roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness and cut into shapes. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Let cool completely.
Prepare the icing by mixing powdered sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla. Divide and color with pastel shades, then decorate the cookies and let set.
Vanilla Butter Cookies’ FAQ
Yes, you can make the dough ahead and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can also bake the cookies in advance and decorate them later once they are completely cooled.
Use just a tiny drop of food coloring and mix well before adding more. Gel food coloring works best because it gives gentle color without making the icing too thin.
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure the icing is fully set before stacking them.