Step into the world of Danish butter cookies, a delectable treat that combines simplicity and elegance. These traditional cookies, also known as "småkager," hold a special place in Danish culture, passed down from generation to generation with love and tradition. With their rich, buttery flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture, Danish butter cookies evoke a sense of nostalgia and comfort. Whether you're looking to delight your taste buds or share a piece of Danish heritage, this article will guide you through the best recipes, offering tips and variations to make these cookies truly unforgettable.
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DANISH BUTTER COOKIES
Ah, the holidays: that wonderful time of the year marked by an ubiquity of iconic blue tins filled with those delicate, buttery Danish shortbread cookies. Declare your love for the Dansk® by adding your personal twist to this homemade version! Cookies can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container before dipping in chocolate. Yes, chocolate! Get excited.
Provided by TheOtherJuliaGulia
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Scandinavian
Time 2h35m
Yield 84
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), with racks in the upper and lower third. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Whisk flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Beat butter using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just combined, about 2 minutes. Divide dough into quarters.
- Working with one quarter at a time, roll dough between 2 large sheets of parchment until 1/8-inch thick. Chill between the parchment on a baking sheet until firm, about 15 minutes.
- Cut out enough cookies to fill the 2 baking sheets with 2-by-1 1/2-inch rectangles or your desired shapes. Arrange 1 inch apart on the sheets. Brush tops of cookies with some of the egg and sprinkle evenly with a portion of turbinado sugar. Keep unused dough in the fridge.
- Bake cookies, 2 sheets at a time, until pale golden, 14 to 15 minutes, rotating pans after 7 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for about 5 minutes, then carefully move them to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping. Cut, brush, and bake the remaining cookie dough in the meantime.
- Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30-second intervals until melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Either dip cookies halfway in chocolate mixture and let excess drip off, or use a fork and drizzle chocolate Jackson Pollack-style over cookies over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle salt over chocolate. Let rest until chocolate sets, about 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 90.2 calories, Carbohydrate 10.1 g, Cholesterol 13.8 mg, Fat 5.4 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 0.9 g, SaturatedFat 3.3 g, Sodium 143.1 mg, Sugar 5.4 g
REAL DANISH BUTTER COOKIES
Steps:
- 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. Whisk together flour and baking soda. 3. Beat butter with an electric mixer until fluffy (if using a stand mixer, use paddle attachment), then add sugar and flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Divide dough in half. 4. Roll each piece of dough between large sheets of plastic wrap into a 15-by-10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Chill on a tray until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut into 2- by 1-1/2-inch rectangles and arrange 1 inch apart on 2 large baking sheets. (If dough becomes too soft, chill or freeze until firm enough to handle.) 5. Brush tops of cookies lightly with beaten egg, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake cookies, 2 sheets at a time, switching positions of pans halfway through baking, until cookies are very pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then carefully slide cookies (on parchment) to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough, baking on cooled, freshly lined baking sheets. Reroll scraps once. Can be made 1 day ahead.
DANISH BUTTER COOKIES RECIPE BY TASTY
A Christmas classic you'll love making at home, these crispy butter cookies come in different shapes, and textures including shredded coconut and a pretzel shaped topped with crunchy sparkling sugar.
Provided by Tikeyah Whittle
Categories Desserts
Time 55m
Yield 48 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 6 baking sheets, or as many as you have, with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream the powdered sugar and butter with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until well combined and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat until well combined and the batter is mostly smooth.
- Gradually add the salt and flour, beating on low speed between each addition, until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Divide the dough evenly into 3 portions. Each portion of dough should be about 13.5 ounces.
- Add the shredded coconut to 1 portion of dough and mix with your hands to combine. Portion the coconut dough into ½-ounce pieces and roll into balls. Place on 2 of the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Using your fingers, gently press down on the tops of the dough rounds to create a flattened top. Transfer to the refrigerator if not baking immediately.
- Transfer another portion of dough to a piping bag fitted with a large star piping tip. Pipe 2-inch (5 cm) circles of dough directly onto 2 of the prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Transfer to the refrigerator if not baking immediately.
- Transfer the remaining portion of dough to a small piping bag fitted with a medium (¼-inch) round piping tip. Pipe 2-inch wide pretzel shapes directly onto the 2 remaining prepared baking sheets, spacing evenly. Sprinkle the pretzels with the sparkling sugar.
- Working in batches, bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, until just golden brown.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 138 calories, Carbohydrate 13 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, Sugar 3 grams
SUGARED DANISH BUTTER COOKIES WITH PECAN HALVES
This recipe is for a very elegant and tender butter cookie that just melts in your mouth. Half of the dough yields a sugared butter cookie, while the other half is unsugared and topped with a pecan half. This recipe can be easily halved for a smaller yield, but believe me, the cookies disappear quickly. You won't regret making an entire batch because no one can stop eating them. The recipe looks more complicated than it really is. Just be sure not to slice the cookies too thickly.
Provided by phoenix__rising
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Scandinavian
Time P1DT1h45m
Yield 176
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Sift the flour and white sugar together in a mixing bowl, and stir in 1 egg and the vanilla extract until well combined. Using a pastry cutter, cut the cold butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Divide the dough in half, and roll into two 11-inch-long logs. Wrap one of the logs in waxed paper and then plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Place 3 tablespoons of coarse sugar crystals on a flat plate. Brush the second log with beaten egg, and roll it in the sugar crystals, coating it thickly. Carefully wrap the sugared log in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. (See Cook's Note.)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut the unsugared log of dough into round slices about 1/8-inch thick, and place the rounds onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1/2-inch apart. Top each round with a pecan half. Cut the sugared log of dough into 1/8-inch thick slices, and place them onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle each sugared cookie with more coarse sugar crystals, if desired.
- Place one baking sheet of cookies at a time into the preheated oven, and bake until the edges barely turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 38 calories, Carbohydrate 4.3 g, Cholesterol 6.3 mg, Fat 2.1 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 0.4 g, SaturatedFat 1.2 g, Sodium 0.9 mg, Sugar 2 g
DANISH SALTED-BUTTER COOKIES
Using chilled butter and freezing the cookies before baking encourages clean, tidy edges.
Provided by Alison Roman
Categories Bon Appétit Dessert Christmas Kid-Friendly Cookies Vanilla Butter Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher Small Plates
Yield Makes about 24
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Combine butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl; scrape in vanilla seeds and discard pod. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in 1 egg. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in 2 cups flour. Form dough into a 3/4"-thick disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
- Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350°F. Let disk of dough sit at room temperature until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Roll out on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper, shifting often on sheet and dusting with more flour as needed to keep from sticking, until about 3/8" thick.
- Punch out rounds with large cutter; punch out centers with smaller cutter. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2" apart. Pat scraps into a 3/4"-thick disk. Chill 15 minutes.
- Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with 1 tsp. water; brush cookies with egg wash; sprinkle with sanding sugar. Freeze 10 minutes. Bake, rotating baking sheets halfway through, until edges are golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool. Repeat with scraps and remaining egg wash and sanding sugar.
- Do Ahead
- Dough can be made 1 month ahead; freeze. Cookies can be baked 2 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
Tips:
- Use high-quality butter: The type of butter you use will make a big difference in the taste and texture of your cookies. Look for a butter that is at least 82% butterfat.
- Make sure the butter is cold: When you cream the butter and sugar together, the butter should be cold. This will help to create a light and fluffy dough.
- Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing the dough will make the cookies tough. Mix the dough just until it comes together.
- Chill the dough before baking: Chilling the dough before baking will help to prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Bake the cookies until they are just set: The cookies should be slightly golden brown around the edges and still soft in the center. If you overbake them, they will be dry and crumbly.
Conclusion:
Danish butter cookies are a delicious and classic treat that are perfect for any occasion. They are easy to make and can be customized with your favorite flavors. With a little planning, you can bake Danish butter cookies that will be the hit of your next party or gathering.
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