Butter Cookies

These butter cookies are a big joy for my small child and good for all family taste.

Butter cookies (or butter biscuits), known as Brysslkex, Sablés, and Danish biscuits, are unleavened cookies consisting of butter, flour, and sugar. They are often categorised as a "crisp cookie" due to their texture, caused in part because of the quantity of butter and sugar. In some parts of the world such as European countries and North America these are often served around Christmas time. In Denmark, butter cookies in tin boxes are produced and sold there, and are also exported to other countries.

Calories:       345 kcal
Time:                  1 hour (incl. 30 min. fridge, 15 min. oven)
Difficulty:      Easy

Ingredients:

• 200g         Butter, at room temperature
• 200g         Sugar
• 500g         Plain flour
• 2                Eggs

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350ºF. Cover the baking tray with cookie sheets and sprinkle a little flour on it.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. 
3. Beat in the eggs.
4. Combine the flour; stir into the sugar mixture.
5. Sprinkle a bit flour on a table or clean counter. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is firm and smooth. If the dough is still a bit sticky, you can add a little more flour.
6. Cover the dough, and chill for at least one hour. Chill cookie sheets.
7. Roll the dough out. Aim to roll the dough to a 5mm-thickness.
8. Press cookie cutters into the dough to shape cookies. Try to cut as many cookies as you can, using differently shaped cutters for a pretty variety.
9. Place the cookies in rows on the baking tray. Leave sufficient room between cookies, as they will expand in the oven; if they're placed too close together, they'll stick to one another.
10. Sprinkle a little sugar over the cookies before placing them in the oven.
11. Put the baking tray in the preheated oven. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until lightly golden at the edges
12. Remove from the oven once baked. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack until they reach room temperature.
13. Serve when cooled. You may store these in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Optionals:

Butter cookies at their most basic have no flavouring, but they are often flavoured with:

• vanilla,
• chocolate, and coconut, and/or 
• topped with sugar crystals
• lemon extract.

Tips:

• It is generally necessary to chill the dough to enable proper manipulation and handling. 
• Time in the oven can be different. The times given in this recipe are just guidelines; keep an eye on the color of the cookies as they bake. When done, they will be a nice golden color; do not allow to brown.
• If you want a better taste, try mixing batter with your hands rather than an electric mixer.
• Always have some extra flour handy, just in case your dough doesn’t come together. Also, have some extra water handy in case your dough becomes too dry.
• Give some to your friends for a quick gift. Ask them how they like it.