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Close-up of golden French butter cookies coated with sugar

Classic French Butter Cookies

These classic French butter cookies are easy to make with a simple dough, chilled and frozen for perfect slicing, then baked until golden and crisp. They are perfect for sharing or enjoying with a cup of tea.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Calories: 120
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Dough
  • ½ cup butter softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup powdered sugar sifted before measuring
  • 1 egg yolk egg yolk at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose or cake flour
For Coating
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar for coating the shaped dough, before baking

Equipment

  • Spatula
  • Plastic wrap
  • Baking sheet
  • parchment paper
  • cooling rack
  • Airtight jar

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Cream the butter and powdered sugar together using a spatula until the mixture is pale in color and light in texture.
  2. Incorporate the egg yolk and vanilla extract into the butter mixture until fully combined.
  3. Sift in the flour and mix until a soft dough forms.
  4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Shaping and Freezing
  1. Remove the chilled dough, divide it into two pieces, and roll each into a log shape about 4 inches long and 1 inch in diameter.
  2. Wrap the dough logs separately in plastic wrap and freeze for 45 minutes.
Baking
  1. Preheat your oven to 356°F (180°C), or 160°C fan, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
  2. Take the frozen dough logs out of the freezer, unwrap them, and roll them in the ¼ cup of granulated sugar to coat evenly.
  3. Cut each sugared log into ⅜ inch (1 cm) thick slices and arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
  4. Bake the cookies for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they turn golden brown.
  5. Remove the cookies from the oven, leaving them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up.
  6. After 5 minutes, transfer the firm cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. Once entirely cool, store the butter cookies in an airtight jar for up to 5 days.

Notes

Ensure butter is softened to room temperature for best creaming results. Sift powdered sugar before measuring for a smoother dough. Cookies will be soft directly out of the oven but will crisp up as they cool.