Chicago Public School Butter Cookies
A recipe for cookies that are supposed to be similar to the ones they used to serve in Chicago public schools.
Servings 24 cookies
Cost 5
Ingredients
- 2 sticks good salted butter at cool room temperature (230 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 more tablespoons flour optional, only if needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and have ready an ungreased or Silpat lined baking sheet.
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, scraping bowl often, until very light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and scrape sides of bowl again.
- Gradually stir in flour, ½ cup at a time, until a smooth dough forms.
- Using a generously rounded tablespoon, scoop up dough and shape into 24 balls.
- Arrange the dough balls on baking sheets spacing about 2 ½ inches apart. Dampen fingers and press index, middle and ring fingers into each dough ball to make indentations and flatten. At this point you can bake the dough or put the flattened rounds on a plate, cover with plastic and chill until ready to bake.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Carefully transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Notes
**If using unsalted butter, add ¾ teaspoon of salt when you whip the butter and sugar. For the flour, I used two (5 oz weight/140 grams each) cups (280 grams total or 140 grams per cup). Since flour weight varies cup for cup, I recommend weighing. If you don’t have a scale, go by the consistency of the dough. It should be a nice, workable consistency neither dry nor requiring refrigeration.
Also, I recommend you add the flour gradually. Start with 1 ½ cup and then add the flour a few tablespoons at a time stirring until the dough is just firm enough to be shaped into a ball.
Use the best butter you can get find. The Danish butter is good, but KerryGold works really well too and gives the cookies a yellow hue.
Also, I recommend you add the flour gradually. Start with 1 ½ cup and then add the flour a few tablespoons at a time stirring until the dough is just firm enough to be shaped into a ball.
Use the best butter you can get find. The Danish butter is good, but KerryGold works really well too and gives the cookies a yellow hue.