Chilean butter cookies, or galletas de mantequilla, are crumbly, tender cookies made by creaming softened butter and sugar, beating in eggs and vanilla, and adding flour and baking powder, then chilling, rolling, cutting, and baking the dough until lightly golden. They take 45 minutes of preparation, including chilling, and about 15 minutes in the oven, and serve 6.
Simple and full of flavor, they bring back childhood memories and have accompanied generations of Chilean families at teatime.
How to Make Butter Cookies?
These cookies start from a basic mix of flour, eggs, and butter that you can flavor with vanilla or citrus zest. The butter and sugar are creamed, the eggs and vanilla beaten in, and the flour with baking powder added gradually. The dough rests in the fridge, then is rolled 5 to 10 mm thick, cut, and baked at 180°C (356°F).
Nutritional Information
Each serving of butter cookies contains approximately 430 kcal, 6 g of protein, 18 g of fat, 85 mg of cholesterol, 58 g of carbohydrates, 26 g of sugars, 2 g of fiber, and 120 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.
Homemade Chilean Butter Cookies Recipe
Preparation: 45 minutes (including 30 minutes chilling)
Cooking: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 350 g (2¾ cups) of all purpose flour
- 200 g (1 cup) of sugar
- 100 g (7 tablespoons) of butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter and sugar with your hands or a wooden spoon until creamy and pale. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until fully combined.
- In another bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and add it gradually to the butter mixture, making sure no lumps remain, until the dough is soft and smooth. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) with top and bottom heat for at least 10 minutes.
- Take the dough out of the fridge, place it on a clean surface, dust with a little flour, and roll it out to 5 to 10 mm thick. Cut with cookie cutters, a glass, or a knife and arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden, without overbaking, and cool on a rack. They will feel soft but turn crisp as they cool. Serve once cool and store in a glass jar.
Additional Tips
Do not overmix
After adding the flour, mix only until combined. Overworking develops the gluten and makes the cookies hard instead of crumbly.
Roll evenly
Keep the dough the same thickness everywhere so all the cookies bake at the same rate and none burn while others stay raw.
Crisp or soft
For crisper cookies roll the dough thinner and bake a few minutes longer. For softer cookies leave it thicker and bake slightly less.
| Original ingredient | Substitute | Ratio | Flavor note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butter | Margarine (80% fat or more) | 1:1 | Slightly different flavor |
| Vanilla | Lemon or orange zest | Zest of 1 fruit | Fresher, citrusy |
| White sugar | Powdered sugar | 1:1 | Finer, more tender |
| Plain cookies | Dip in melted chocolate | Half of each cookie | More indulgent |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can I replace the butter with margarine or oil?
Margarine with a similar fat content, 80% or more, works, although the flavor changes slightly. Oil is not recommended because it changes the texture too much.
2. Why chill the dough?
Chilling firms up the butter, which helps the cookies keep their shape and gives a better, crisper texture after baking.
Yes, freeze the cut dough for up to 3 months, or freeze the baked, cooled cookies, although their texture may change slightly.
Roll thinner and bake a little longer for crisp cookies, or keep them thicker and bake slightly less for soft ones.
History of Butter Cookies
Butter cookies are linked to the British and Scandinavian baking tradition, especially Scottish shortbread and Danish butter cookies, which spread around the world with European immigrants and became a staple of home baking.
What Are Galletas de Mantequilla?
In Chile, galletas de mantequilla are simple homemade cookies, crumbly and lightly sweet, often cut into shapes with children and served with tea or milk at once.
Did You Know?
Butter is one of the oldest dairy products, made for thousands of years wherever people raised cattle, sheep, or goats.
How to adapt this recipe to a vegan or vegetarian version?
How to adapt this recipe to a gluten-free version?
How to adapt this recipe to a keto (ketogenic) version?
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- Chilean Mantecados Shortbread Cookies Recipe
- Homemade Vanilla Cut Out Cookies Recipe
- Chilean Christmas Cookies Recipe
- Easy Cookie Icing Recipe
