These bakery-style butter cookies are melt-in-your mouth delicious. Richly flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. You can make them by rolling & slicing or using a cookie press.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together butter and sugar for 1 minute.
Add egg yolks, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt and beat for an additional minute.
Add the flour and beat until the mixture begins to clump together (60-90 seconds).
Gather the dough and roll it into a log that is 1 ½ to 2” in diameter (about 10 inches long).
Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).
After chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mats.
Carefully slice the cookies into ½ inch thick circles.
Put the sprinkles into a small bowl.
Lightly brush the top of each cookie with half and half, then dip each cookie into the sprinkles.
Evenly space the cookies on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until the cookies look set and the bottom edges just barely start to turn brown.
Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
To use a cookie press:
Do not chill the dough (it gets too firm to use in a press when chilled) before using the press.
Put the dough into a cookie press and use it to make shapes. Evenly space them on a lined baking sheet.
Wrap the baking sheets with plastic wrap and chill the shapes for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Then bake according to the recipe.
Note: If you just want sprinkles on the outside, roll the log in granulated sugar or sprinkles before chilling.Ingredient Substitutions
All-purpose flour. For a gluten-free version substitute a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Fine sea salt. Use fine (not coarse) sea salt. If using iodized table salt, decrease the amount by half.
Salted Butter. Unsalted butter can be used in place of salted butter.
Granulated sugar. I recommend using organic cane sugar or white sugar.
Almond extract. This ingredient is necessary for the best flavor and authentic bakery taste, I don't recommend substitutions. If you have an almond allergy simply omit the extract. You can use other flavors (lemon, orange, peppermint, etc.) to change the flavor of the cookies entirely.
StoreStore butter cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 5-7 days.How to Freeze Butter cookiesFreeze baked butter cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw slowly at room temperature before eating.You can also freeze the dough. I suggest following these instructions:
Make shapes/slices out of the dough.
Then, lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and flash-freeze them until hardened.
Transfer to an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then bake according to the recipe instructions.