The 3 Ingredients You Need To Make Classic Butter Cookies From Scratch

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There's nothing like a yummy sweet treat that you can whip up easily, especially when you don't feel like running to the store for dedicated ingredients. We previously discussed how you can make a three-ingredient cobbler from store-bought cake mix. Now, get ready to try out some moist, scrumptious butter cookies made with a straightforward trio of components that you undoubtedly already have in your kitchen: butter, powdered sugar, and all-purpose flour.

Your basic recipe calls for a cup of softened butter, two cups of flour, and ½ cup of powdered sugar. The consistency of the butter will definitely impact your cookies, so make sure it's softened, not melted or too firm. Simply cream your butter and sugar together, and then add in flour until you have a malleable dough (be careful that you don't overwork it, lest the cookies become tough). 

From here, you have some options: you can chill the dough and roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap, making a base perfect for cutting out shapes with cookie cutters. Left unchilled, it will be the right texture for piping into swirly Danish butter cookies. If you really want a quick-and-easy cookie, just dole the dough out in rounded spoonfuls and crosshatch the balls with a fork like you might do with peanut butter cookies. Your cookies will bake on a prepared sheet for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until they've just started to turn golden. Once cooled, your cookies are ready to devour! 

Tweaking the basic recipe is possible with these simple, versatile cookies. Unsalted butter is the default in a lot of baking, but salted butter here will give an added flavor note to your treats that many people find appealing. All-purpose flour will work just fine, but a lower-protein cake flour, if you have it, will make your cookies softer and chewier. If you want a very basic addition to the cookies, you can splash in some quality vanilla extract to delicately scent and flavor the finished products. However, that is by no means the end of the many ways to gussy up your butter cookies.

We're partial to a two-ingredient glaze, originally intended for sugar cookies, that will give your butter cookies a glassy shine and a subtle sweetness that makes them picture-perfect. Or grab your favorite frosting — store-bought is just fine! — and paint on a thin layer for an iced cookie that is indulgent and dreamy. Or dip the treat in melted chocolate and cover them in sprinkles! It's amazing how picturesque these cookies can get with a little TLC. You can easily customize the flavor of the dough to give some variety to your baking, too. A touch of cinnamon and clove will give you spiced cookies, while lemon zest will add brightness and zip. You can even substitute a small amount of the powdered sugar for cocoa to make chocolate butter cookies. Playing with the formula is a fun and delicious way to flex your baking muscles.