Recipes Desserts Basic Butter Cookies 5.0 (1) 4 Reviews Make these soft butter cookies up to a month in advance and store them in your freezer. They can be pulled out and baked a few at a time whenever the cookie mood strikes. Slideshow: More Delicious Cookies By Kristen Stevens Kristen Stevens Kristen Stevens is well-known for creating easy, approachable, and mostly healthy recipes. She specializes in simplifying the cooking process while maximizing the flavor of a dish. She has 30 years of experience in the kitchen and 11 years of sharing her knowledge on her website, The Endless Meal. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 1, 2014 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Kristen Stevens Active Time: 10 mins Total Time: 25 mins Yield: 20 cookies Ingredients 1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Directions Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until well combined. Add the flour, vanilla and salt and continue mixing for 2 more minutes. Roll the cookies into twenty 1-inch balls and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10-13 minutes. The cookies should be just barely brown on the bottoms. Remove from the oven and let rest for 1 minute before moving the cookies onto a cooling rack. Make Ahead The cookies can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an air-tight container at room temperature or frozen for up to a month. Unbaked cookie dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Rate it Print