Danish Butter Cookies

Ah, the holidays: that wonderful time of the year marked by an ubiquity of iconic blue tins filled with those delicate, buttery Danish shortbread cookies. Declare your love for the Dansk® by adding your personal twist to this homemade version! Cookies can be made 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container before dipping in chocolate. Yes, chocolate! Get excited.

Prep Time:
40 mins
Cook Time:
30 mins
Additional Time:
1 hr 25 mins
Total Time:
2 hrs 35 mins
Servings:
84
Yield:
7 dozen cookies
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 84 servings

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour

  • ¾ cup white sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 pound unsalted Danish butter (such as Lurpak® or Plugrá®), room temperature

  • 1 large egg, beaten

  • 1 cup turbinado sugar

  • 1 (8 ounce) package semisweet chocolate bar (such as Ghirardelli®), chopped

  • 2 tablespoons flaky sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), with racks in the upper and lower third. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. Whisk flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Set aside.

  3. Beat butter using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Gradually add flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just combined, about 2 minutes. Divide dough into quarters.

  4. Working with one quarter at a time, roll dough between 2 large sheets of parchment until 1/8-inch thick. Chill between the parchment on a baking sheet until firm, about 15 minutes.

  5. Cut out enough cookies to fill the 2 baking sheets with 2-by-1 1/2-inch rectangles or your desired shapes. Arrange 1 inch apart on the sheets. Brush tops of cookies with some of the egg and sprinkle evenly with a portion of turbinado sugar. Keep unused dough in the fridge.

  6. Bake cookies, 2 sheets at a time, until pale golden, 14 to 15 minutes, rotating pans after 7 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for about 5 minutes, then carefully move them to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping. Cut, brush, and bake the remaining cookie dough in the meantime.

  7. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30-second intervals until melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes. Either dip cookies halfway in chocolate mixture and let excess drip off, or use a fork and drizzle chocolate Jackson Pollack-style over cookies over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle salt over chocolate. Let rest until chocolate sets, about 1 hour.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

90 Calories
5g Fat
10g Carbs
1g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 84
Calories 90
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5g 7%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 14mg 5%
Sodium 143mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 1g 2%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 2mg 11%
Potassium 18mg 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.