Imagine your kitchen filled with the irresistible aroma of warm vanilla, and picture delicate, melt-in-your-mouth cookies that practically scream "Christmas!"
Get ready to create the most delightful holiday treat with this incredibly easy, foolproof vanilla biscuit recipe that will have everyone asking for more.
Ingredients
Let's gather what we need—it's gonna be fun, believe me! First, you're gonna want 225g—or one cup—of softened, unsalted butter. Salted works too, just skip the extra salt we'll add later!
Next up, we need one cup of caster sugar; superfine sugar works great, but regular white sugar's cool too. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, essential for that Christmas-y flavor, and one large egg—around 55-60g. Don't forget that the vanilla extract is vital in achieving a Christmas-y flavor that reminds people of cakes and holiday baking!
Now, for the dry stuff: three cups of plain or all-purpose flour. Seriously, who can tell the difference?! Mix in 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder to make 'em fluffy. Don't forget 3/4 teaspoon of salt—unless you used salted butter, remember? Perfect!
Instructions
Now that we've rounded up all our ingredients, it's time to get baking. First, preheat your oven to 350°F – or 320°F if it's a fan oven – and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream together the softened butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. It's kinda therapeutic, isn't it? Add the egg and vanilla extract – mix until it's all combined smoothly. If you're seeking an even simpler recipe, consider the 3-ingredient shortbread.
Incorporate flour, baking powder, salt. Mix slowly at first, then increase speed to incorporate. The dough will look crumbly. Sprinkle flour on a surface, scraping it out. Pat half the dough into discs.
Now you can have fun! Roll to desired thickness – about 1/8" for a crispier; 1/4" for softer. Press out your shapes, place on sheets, and bake for 10 minutes, swapping trays halfway. Let these amazing cookies cool completely before decorating.
Recipe Notes
As you get ready to bake, here are a few extra things I think you should know to make certain your cookies turn out great!
First, the number of cookies you get depends on how big your cookie cutters are and how thick you roll the dough. This recipe usually fills about 3 baking trays, so get ready for a cookie bonanza!
Also, swapping trays halfway helps them bake evenly. Because the top rack bakes faster, switching them guarantees neither burns! Okay, now my tip, you can put these in an airtight container for a week and still be fine. They might get a tiny bit dry after that. I am picky though!
Nutrition Information
All that airtight container talk makes me wonder if I should just eat them all right away—nutrition is up next! I've got some deets for ya! Per cookie, we're looking at approximately:
* 96 calories – that's not so bad!
12g of carbs** – fuel for all that holiday fun!
1g of protein** – gotta build those muscles for carrying presents!
* 5g of fat – yes, butter makes it better!
Now, you might be interested in some of the minerals as well. I'm seeing about 1 mg of iron, and about a vitamin A count coming in at 147 IU. It's not a health food, but hey, it's Christmas! Don't overthink it. Just enjoy your cookies and maybe chase them down with a giant glass of milk! I usually do!!!
Short Recipe Version
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serving Size: Approximately 24 cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
- Place cookies on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden brown, swapping trays.
- Cool completely on wire racks before decorating.
Nutrition Information (per cookie approximate):
* Calories: 96