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Melt-in-Your-Mouth French Salted Butter Cookies Recipe

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3.8 from 48 reviews

These Melt-in-Your-Mouth French Salted Butter Cookies boast a delicate texture and rich flavor, combining high-quality French butter with a hint of sea salt to create irresistibly tender and buttery treats. Perfectly golden and lightly crisp on the edges, these cookies are simple to make and can be customized with chocolate chips, nuts, or citrus zest for a delightful twist.

  • Total Time: 47 minutes
  • Yield: 24 cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookie Dough

  • 1 cup Unsalted French Butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 large Egg
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt (or Fleur de Sel) for the dough

Optional Variations

  • 1 cup Chocolate Chips, semi-sweet or dark
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Nuts, pecans or walnuts
  • 1 tablespoon Citrus Zest, lemon or orange

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line your baking sheets with parchment paper to ensure the cookies bake evenly and don’t stick.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted French butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, which helps create a tender cookie texture.
  3. Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract until fully combined, ensuring an even distribution of flavors.
  4. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt to evenly distribute the leavening agent and salt throughout the dough.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until a smooth dough forms. If desired, fold in optional chocolate chips, nuts, or citrus zest at this stage for added flavor and texture.
  6. Chill Dough: Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm it up, which makes it easier to handle and helps prevent spreading during baking.
  7. Shape Cookies: Roll the chilled dough into tablespoon-sized balls and place them spaced on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle a little additional sea salt on top of each ball to enhance the buttery flavor.
  8. Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges turn golden brown, indicating they’re perfectly baked with a crisp edge and tender center.
  9. Cool: Allow the cookies to cool slightly on the baking sheets before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely, which helps them set properly.

Notes

  • Use high-quality unsalted French butter for the best flavor and texture.
  • Chilling the dough is essential to prevent cookies from spreading too much and to improve texture.
  • You can customize the cookies by adding chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or citrus zest as per your preference.
  • Sprinkling sea salt on top before baking enhances the overall flavor contrast.
  • Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
  • Author: Adeline
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French