Butterhorn Christmas Cookies Recipes

GRANDMA WOMACK'S BUTTERHORN COOKIES

Steps:

• Cut butter into flour in a large mixing bowl with your fingertips. Add sour cream and egg yolk; mix thoroughly until a firm dough is formed. Shape dough into a large ball, cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until fully chilled, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine sugar, walnuts, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 3 equal pieces. Roll 1 piece of dough into a circle. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the sugar mixture and press it into the dough. Cut into 12 wedges (like a pie) and roll each piece from the wide side to the tip to make a croissant-shaped cookie; place on the prepared baking sheets. Curl the tips of each cookie towards you to form a curved horn shape. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar mixture to form remaining cookies.
• Bake in batches in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

BUTTERHORNS

Steps:

• Crumble the compressed yeast into a small bowl, and mix in 2 teaspoons of sugar. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat milk until a skin forms on the top. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
• Place 1 cup of butter and remaining 1/2 cup of sugar into a large bowl. Pour the hot milk over them, and stir until butter is melted. Let the mixture cool to just above body temperature. Beat in the eggs, one at a time mixing well after each one, then stir in the yeast mixture. Add 3 cups of flour, and mix until well blended. Gradually mix in the remaining flour, mixing as well as you can. The dough will be sticky. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• After the dough has risen, punch down, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Divide the dough into four pieces. Use one piece at a time, leaving the rest in the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll the piece of dough out into a 12 inch circle. Spread about 2 tablespoons of butter over the surface. Cut into 8 wedges, as you would a pizza. Roll each wedge starting at the wide end, and ending at the point. Place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet, and bend the ends so that they are crescent shaped. Cover with a towel, and let rise in a warm place until doubled. This will take about 2 hours because the dough is cold.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden.

BUTTERHORN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl; measure flour, butter, sour cream, salt, baking powder, ½ cup sugar, and 1 egg yolk (place egg white in small bowl set aside)
• With spoon stir until blended and mixture holds together (also works in the mixer, just be sure to cream the butter first).
• Shape into ball and wrap in plastic wrap chill 2-3 hours until firm.
• In small bowl stir walnuts cinnamon and ½ cup sugar set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350°
• Roll out 1/3 of dough to 1/8-thick; use 10-inch round plate as guide.
• Spread egg white with pastry brush on circle.
• Cut into 12 equal wedges, using a pizza cutter to do this makes this step a lot easier.
• Spread walnut mixture and roll starting at curved edge.
• Place cookies point side down about 1 1/2- inches apart.
• In cup beat 1 egg and ½ teaspoon sugar.
• Brush cookies.
• Bake 15-20 minutes.

SWISS BUTTERHORNS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in egg yolk and sour cream; shape into a ball. Chill several hours or overnight. , Divide dough into thirds. On a well-floured surface, roll each portion into a 12-in. circle. Combine filling ingredients. Sprinkle a third of the filling over each circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedges. Roll each wedge, starting at the wide end. Place on greased baking sheets with points down. , Bake at 350° until lightly browned, 15-18 minutes. Make glaze if desired. Combine all ingredients and spread on warm rolls.

BUTTERHORNS AKA RUGELACH / RUGULACH / SNAILS / SCHNECKEN

Steps:

• Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar until soft.
• Sift in the flour and mix to make a soft dough.
• Divide dough into 4 equal balls, flatten each one and wrap in wax paper.
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Make the filling by mixing all ingredients in a small bowl.
• Preheat oven to 375*.
• Working with one disk of dough at a time, roll thinly on a lightly floured surface into a circle, about 9" in diameter.
• Brush the surface with the egg white glaze and sprinkle the dough with 1/4 of the filling.
• Slice the dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into quarters and then each quarter into 4 equal sections, to form 16 triangles.
• Starting from the base of each triangle, roll up to form spirals.
• You can curve them into crescents if you like.
• Continue with the other 3 disks of dough.
• Place on baking sheets and brush with egg white glaze.
• Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.
• Bake until just golden, about 10 minutes.
• For 32 extra large butterhorns, divide the dough in half instead of fourths and roll each disk into a 12 inch circle and use half the filling.
• Continue as above but bake for 15-20 minutes.

BUTTERHORNS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine flour, butter, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, cut butter into flour, until the butter is the size of small peas.
• In a medium bowl, stir the yeast into the lukewarm milk, then add beaten egg yolks and almond extract. Pour yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir lightly, handling as gently as pie crust, until the shaggy mass comes together in a sticky ball. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight.
• Make the filling: The day you plan to bake the butterhorns, combine the sugar, almonds, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, flour and almond extract in a separate medium bowl. It should resemble a wet sand with bits of nuts. If the filling is dry, add another tablespoon of cream. Set aside.
• Assemble the butterhorns: Lightly grease 3 baking sheets. Remove pastry dough from the refrigerator and divide dough into three equal rounds (about 13 ounces/365 grams each). Keep the other rounds refrigerated while you work with one piece. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 16-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Cut each circle into 12 wedges, like you're cutting a pizza. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling just inside the curved edge of the wedge, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
• Fold the closest two corners over the filling to avoid leakage, then roll tightly all the way up to the point. (It should look like a little croissant.) Arrange pieces on a greased pan 2 inches apart, 12 butterhorns per pan, making sure that the point is tucked under to prevent it from unrolling while rising. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds. Let horns rise, uncovered, in a warm location until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• About 30 minutes before you're ready to bake, heat the oven to 365 degrees and make the frosting: Combine confectioners' sugar, melted butter, heavy cream and almond extract in a large bowl, and mix until creamy and spreadable. Cover and set aside.
• Bake butterhorns for 12 to 15 minutes, until a light brown. Frost while still warm, and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.