Mather High School Butter Cookies Recipes

THE MOTHER OF ALL BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, cornstarch, sugar and salt in a food processor, and pulse once or twice. Add butter, and pulse 10 or 20 times, until butter and flour are well combined. Add vanilla and egg and pulse 3 or 4 times. Add about half the milk and pulse 2 or 3 times. Add the remaining milk a little at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition, until the dough holds together in a sticky mass.
• Remove the dough from the machine to one or more bowls. Make cookies as described in Step 3, or make any of the variations below.
• To make cookies, drop rounded teaspoons of dough (you can make the cookies larger or smaller, if you like) onto a nonstick baking sheet, a sheet lined with parchment paper or a lightly buttered sheet. If you want flat cookies, press the balls down a bit with your fingers or the back of a spatula or wooden spoon. Bake 11 minutes, or until the cookies are done as you like them. Cool on a rack, then store, if necessary, in a covered container.

THE BEST BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add the butter and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for a full 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl halfway through the mixing; the butter should be very light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until well combined. Add half the dry ingredients and beat on low speed to combine. Scrape down the mixing bowl before adding the remaining dry ingredients and beat to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour in the bowl for drop cookies, or form into a 1-inch log for slice-and-bake cookies.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Place the turbinado sugar in a small bowl. For drop cookies, scoop the cookie dough with a 1 tablespoon-size cookie scoop and then dip the tops of the cookie dough balls into the sugar. Place onto the prepared baking sheet.
• For slice-and-bake cookies, cut the log into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Press the tops into the sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the cookies until slightly puffed and lightly golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

VENICE HIGH SCHOOL CHERRY BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together the butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Mix in salt, then stir in flour by hand until dough is stiff. Add the walnuts and cherries, and mix into the dough, kneading like bread on a clean floured surface.
• Roll dough into ping pong sized balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press down balls with a fork to make a criss cross pattern on top.
• Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven. Let stand on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL CAFETERIA BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Mix in vanilla extract.
• Mix in flour gradually.
• Using a small cookie scoop, roll dough into balls and slightly flatten on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Flatten cookies with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar if desired.
• Bake until golden brown (approximately 12-15 minutes.
• Makes about 2 dozen.

SCHOOL CAFETERIA PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat a convection oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). See note for non-convection oven. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in peanut butter until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a plastic scraper between additions. Add eggs 5 or 6 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl, and mix for a minute. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually mix into the dough until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl one more time, and be sure the bottom has mixed evenly.
• Scoop out dough using an ice cream scoop, or roll into 2 inch balls. Place cookies 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Press down lightly with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.
• Bake for 7 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges are lightly toasted. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes so they do not crumble.

SENN HIGH SCHOOL CHICAGO BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter with mixer untill light and fuffy.
• Add sugar and salt and beat until no longer grainy.
• Gradually add flour a little at a time, beating at low speed untill dough forms.
• Mix in vanilla.
• Form dough into balls, one heaping tablespoon = 1 ball.
• Place balls on ungreased cookie sheet spaced widely- about 9 per sheet.
• Put 1/4 cup of sugar on saucer. Press first 3 fingers into sugar, then press down on ball to flatten to a 3 inch circle wide and 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
• Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes, until faintly browned around the egdes.
• Gently remove cookies from sheet with a spatula, cool completely on wire racks.

MATHER HIGH SCHOOL BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter, add sugar and beat Add flour a little at a time, then add vanilla (batter will be very thick) Make 9 big balls of cookie dough per ungreased cookie sheet (4 cookie sheets=36 cookies) Place extra sugar on plate for topping Press palm of hand on plate of sugar and then press down to flatten each ball of dough. With fingers spread to form ridges- each cookie should be flattened to approximately 3 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned in a preheated 350 degree oven. Do not over bake!