Day 1: Fail-proof No Bake Cookies
Day 2: Chocolate Pretzel Cookies
Day 3: Mini Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Whipped Maple Cream Cheese Filling
Day 4: Snickerdoodles
Day 5: Gingerbread Cookies
Day 6: Alfajores or Dulce de Leche sandwich cookies
Day 7: Almond Biscotti with Lemon
Day 8: Pie Crust Cookies
Day 9: Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
Day 10: Chinese Five-Spice Oatmeal Cookies


You know those amazing butter cookies - the ones in the blue tins?  This time of year, they seem to be everywhere.  I rarely buy them because when I do, I can't seem to get enough of them.  Not that I have, but I'm pretty sure I could eat the entire thing on my own.  :)  So, of course, I decided the best thing to do was to make them myself!

This recipe is delicious and so simple.  Crisp, and slightly sweet.  Best yet - it's a one bowl recipe!


Danish Butter Cookies

• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Butter, at room temperature
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 2 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Mix on medium speed until combined and a dough forms.

Scoop the dough into a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip.  Depending on the size of the bag, you may have to divide the dough in half, or even thirds and work in batches.  *Note: I used a size 21 open star tip, because that was all I had on hand.  It was way too small!  It resulted in adorable quarter-sized cookies, but it took forever and made my hand cramp.  I'd recommend something more along the lines of a 4B or maybe even a 6B.

Pipe dough in circles on the parchment paper, overlapping the ends slightly.  The cookies didn't spread, so I placed them about 1/2 inch apart on the baking sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges begin to brown slightly.  Allow to cool on the baking sheet 2-3 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.  Store in an airtight container.

Get creative with this recipe!  You can pipe all kinds of shapes...use different tips too!  I used a large (ok, massive - #798) basketweave tip to create the large ridged cookies.  Try sprinkling them with coarse decorating sugars, or colored sugar, for added sparkle and holiday color!  They would probably work well with a cookie press too.  (Don't quote me on that though, since I don't have one to try!)  :)