My family just spent a wonderful week away together in the coastal town of Lewes, Delaware. What made this vacation so amazing, aside for having my now adult children and son-in-law all under one roof for the first time in months, was that traditionally, this was always the week when we vacationed when my girls were little.
The one or two weeks between the end of camp and the beginning of school presented a babysitter and activity challenge in our two full time working parents household. Being away meant that we could all spend some quality time together building many unforgettable vacation memories. A tradition which I’m happy to say, still lives on.
Needless to say these last couple of weeks of summer are not the only time that school is closed and, as anyone with young children knows all too well, you have to have an arsenal of activities up your sleeve to keep kids happy, entertained and productively busy. On those days, one of my daughters’ favorite activities was always baking cookies.
Be it summer vacation, a teacher in-service day, or the slightest hint of a snow storm heading our way, my girls would pull out their cookie cutters, sprinkles and tiny rolling pins.
Sometimes it would just be the three of us in the kitchen, other times we were joined by some of their friends and/or neighbors and, on those occasions when my husband wasn’t at his office, he would be our taste tester. Flour and sugar would be all over the kitchen floor, fingers were dipped in sprinkles and there was laughter in my kitchen as tiny hands would pull and pat bits of dough trying to create original cookie shaped creations. The mess that seemed like a nightmare to clean up in the moment, created many amazing memories that carried well into my daughters’ adult years.
So, of course, as soon as I knew that we would be spending the week that for many kids marks the last few days of summer together, I had to make cookies. But not just any cookies, Emeril Lagasse’s butter cookies. These were my family’s favorite cookies for as long as I can remember. And honestly, who could blame them.
Perfectly crunchy, buttery, melt in your mouth, easy as kids’ play cookies made with, yes, lots of real butter, eggs, vanilla and optional orange zest then topped with lots of sprinkles (also optional), these cookies are the bomb. One bowl, six simple ingredients that I bet you already have on hand and less than an hour of your time is all it takes to get these cookies on your plate. And best of all, this soft dough can be rolled out and shaped with cookie cutters or pressed down by little hands. They last for days in an airtight container (or so I’m told) and will freeze well for up to three months.
The perfect back to school, after school, off from school, or really anytime cookies will leave you craving more with every bite and are guaranteed to become your new go to recipe.
I hope that you’ll give this Vacation Butter Cookies recipe a whirl. If you do, please let me know what you think. I always love hearing from everyone and seeing pictures of anything that you make. And above all, thank you so much for stopping by.
Vacation Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup plus 2 tbs granulated sugar
- 6 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 tbs orange zest, optional
- 2 cups plus 2 tbs all purpose flour
- sprinkles or sanding sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350 °F. Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-low speed until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the egg yolks one at a time mixing well after each addition.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, add the vanilla, salt and orange zest (if using), mix for another minute or so until combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed until fully incorporated (about 2-3 minutes).
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to about ¼ inch thickness. Using 2-3 inch cookie cutters cut the dough into the shapes of your choice. Transfer the unbaked cookies to parchment covered cookie sheets spacing them about 2 inches apart. Decorate with sprinkles or caster sugar (if using) and bake for about 15-20 minutes until lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool for about 5 minutes then, using a large spatula, transfer them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before enjoying.