Grandma Fili’s Amazing Old Fashioned Butter Cookie Recipe
- Kristina V
- December 20, 2021
These buttery, melt-in-your-mouth, and perfectly rustic cookies will take the work out of holiday cookie decorating this season. This old fashioned butter cookie recipe is the perfect holiday activity for the whole family!
Why I Love These Cookies
I love these cookies for quite a few reasons.
- They aren’t out of this world sweet. Now I love a good sugar bomb like the rest of America, but if you want something a little tamer and something you wouldn’t mind having with a cup of tea, this is your thing. These could also come in handy if your kids are begging for one more cookie and you don’t want them awake all night.
- Festive holiday cookies are sometimes a challenge if you don’t like rolling out dough and then trying your best to not break the cookie when you transport it to the baking sheet. If you want to decorate something fun and easy (alone or with family) this will turn Christmas cookies into a relaxing activity, not a stressful disaster.
- You can fill them with literally ANYTHING you want! Make it look like you delivered big time at a party when you show up with a cookie that satisfies everyone’s taste buds. Make a few with chocolate, a couple with nuts, dollop on some jam or jelly, or keep it simple with sanding sugar or sprinkles!
Recipe Card from the Fili Family Chris making his Grandma’s Cookies
Who is Grandma Fili?
Unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet Grandma Fili. She was my husband’s grandma and (like most grandparents) had a knack for always making something tasty for her grandkids on all occasions, my husband (being the baby of the family and all) in particular. I was fortunate enough to come across her famous old fashioned butter cookie recipe that was a hot commodity, especially on Christmas. I’ve only made a few adjustments to cook time and temp so these are straight from her kitchen to yours.
How-to: Grandma Fili’s Old Fashioned Butter Cookie Recipe
I bet you’re wondering how to make these easy and awesome cookies!
Well, let’s spur this pony!
This old fashioned butter cookie recipe starts with… you guessed it – butter. Throw your two sticks of butter in the mixer and give them a bit of a whip before adding the sugar. I like to do this sometimes if I know the fluffiness of the butter plays a role in how the cookies turn out.
Whip Butter and Sugar to Light and Fluffy Mixture begins to look yellow once yolks are incorporated FInished dough is slightly crumbly
Once the butter is starting to look a bit fluffy, add in your sugar and finish whipping them together so that the mixture looks light-colored, fluffy, and the sugar almost seems like it’s dissolving.
Add your egg yolks, one at a time. After each addition, make sure the yolk is fully incorporated.
Slowly add the flour until completely combined.
Squeeze the dough into a large ball or disk and wrap in a piece of plastic wrap. Chill for about an hour. This step isn’t necessary, but I prefer to do it this way.
Unwrap the chilled dough Use an 1.5″ scoop to roll balls Place dough balls on a baking sheet Press dough balls with thumb
Roll the dough into 1.5” balls and place on a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or non-stick mats. I LOVE my non-stick mats. They’re good for all foods, not just baking!
Since these cookies do not spread, you can probably fit about 15 per sheet as long as your sheets are a decent size.
Smoosh the middle of each ball down with your thumb (this is why they often call this type of cookie Thumbprint Cookies). Push until the edges start cracking.
Add all of your toppings to the impression you just created in the cookie.
Cherry Preserves Chocolate and “Butter” Pecan Sanding Sugar
Bake these little babies until the bottom edge only JUST begins to turn slightly golden. This will usually take about 25 minutes at 325F degrees.
Grandma Fili’s Old Fashioned Butter Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unsalted Butter this is equal to 2 sticks or 1/2 lb.
- ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 2½ Cups All-Purpose Flour
- Decorations Sanding Sugar, Chocolates, Jelly, Jam, Preserves, Nuts, etc.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°
- Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, whip the butter and sugar until light colored and fluffy at medium/high speed
- Add one egg yolk at a time until fully incorporated
- Slowly add flour until combined. Do this on low/medium speed
- (Optional) Wrap the finished dough into a piece of plastic wrap and chill for about an hour. Sometimes this helps the dough to become more cohesive.
- Using two spoons or a scoop, roll dough into 1½" balls and line on a baking sheet
- Using your thumb, squish the middle of the balls down until the edges start cracking
- Add any decorations you like into the middles of the cookies
- Bake for about 25 minutes at 325° or until the bottom edges just begin to turn slightly golden
- Cool and Enjoy!
1 thought on “Grandma Fili’s Amazing Old Fashioned Butter Cookie Recipe”
Thanks for your blog, nice to read. Do not stop.