How long does it take to make Butter Cookies?

Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.

26 minTotal

15 minActive time

11 minSetting

#	What to do	How long
1	Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper	12 min
2	Whip the soft butter with the sugar, to a smooth, pale mixture	—
3	Add the egg and vanilla and mix well	1 min
4	Add the flour and salt and mix just	1 min
5	Roll out the dough on a floured surface to ½ cm thick, cut out Shapes and arrange on the baking sheet, spaced apart	1 min
6	Bake 10–12 minutes	11 min
7	Cool completely on the pan: the cookies firm up as they cool	—

Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
Cream the butter soft, at room temperature: cold butter doesn't take in air, and melted butter doesn't hold it.
Mix in the flour only until a dough forms: long kneading develops gluten, and the cookies come out hard instead of crumbly.
Roll from the center outward and give the dough a quarter turn between rolls: this keeps it even in thickness and stops it sticking to the counter. If it springs back, cover for 10–15 minutes and try again.
Take the cookies out while they still look soft: they firm up as they cool, and long baking dries them out.