Danish Butter Cookies

Danish Butter Cookies are copycats of the Royal Dansk cookies that come in the iconic blue tin. This twist on a Traditional Shortbread Recipe is perfect for the holidays!

I tested recipe after recipe. Some baked up like pancakes, others were difficult to pipe. The hubby was happy to eat them all despite how imperfect many of my test batches of these Cookie Swirls looked. Thankfully, this is the winning recipe!

Why You’ll Love this Shortbread Cookie Recipe

• The flavor palate is simple, sweet and buttery. 
• They’re perfect for picky palates.
• They can be decorated for any occasion just by changing the sprinkles. 
• They stay fresh much longer than ordinary cookies, so they’re perfect to package in tins as gifts for the holidays.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Make Danish Butter Cookies

1. Make the dough using a paddle attachment.
2. Scrape the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
3. Pipe out rings or circles onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
4. Place the baking sheets in the refrigerator to make the dough nice and cold.
5. Bake as directed or until the edges are light golden brown.
6. May garnish with melted white chocolate, sprinkles, and/or M & M’s if desired. 
7. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Tips for Making Cookie Swirls

Ingredient Notes:

• Butter – Salted, at room temperature. PRO-Tip: European style butters like Kerrygold work best. They have less water content so will spread less than American brands.
• Sugar – Regular granulated white sugar
• Salt – I prefer table salt for baking as the finer grains disperse better
• Real Vanilla Extract – Avoid imitation as the taste is inferior.
• Egg – I always use large eggs in my baking unless otherwise noted.
• Flour – All-purpose
• White chocolate, dark chocolate, M&M’s and/or sprinkles – Optional garnishes

More Shortbread and Sugar Cookies You’ll Love:

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The Recipe:

Danish Butter Cookies

Buttery shortbread cookies that can be dressed up for any occasion!

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature (European style butter like Kerrygold work best)
• ½ cup sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• White chocolate, M&M's and/or sprinkles to garnish, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line baking sheets with parchment paper/
2. Beat the butter, sugar, and salt in a stand mixer fit with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla extract and the egg, and mix until combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
4. Slowly add the flour and mix just until incorporated.
5. Place the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. I used a Wilton 1M, but Ateco 844 or 827 work. Or use a cookie press if you don't have the tools to pipe these cookies (baking time may be different).
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are light golden brown.
7. May garnish with melted white chocolate, sprinkes and/or M & M's if desired. See notes for details.
8. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

Use European-style butter for the best results. It contains less water than American brands.

To garnish, melt chopped white chocolate in the microwave. Dip one side of the cookie into the melted chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add sprinkles immediately before the chocolate hardens.

Adapted from Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

15

Serving Size:

2 cookies
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 250Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 127mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 3g

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