252 butter cookie recipes

Triple threat cookies from one dough split three ways: peanut butter cup, M&M with pecans, and classic chocolate chip. Three cookie varieties from a single batch of butter dough.

Portuguese biscoitos shaped into rings from hand-rolled dough ropes. A simple butter and egg cookie that bakes golden, lightly sweet, and crisp.

Le Bisse are traditional S-shaped butter cookies with lemon zest, made from a simple egg-butter-flour dough. Crisp and golden, these French-style cookies have an elegant shape and delicate crumb.

Classic pecan melt away cookies made with cake flour and unsalted butter for an ultra-tender, powdered-sugar-dusted shortbread. Drop cookies that dissolve on the tongue in seconds.

Cinnamon sherry biscochitos, the official state cookie of New Mexico, crisp anise-scented butter cookies with a splash of sherry and cinnamon sugar coating.

Polvorones: traditional Mexican pecan cookies made with butter and lard, spiced with cinnamon and anise seed. Sandy, crumbly, and sugar-coated.

Surprise-center butter cookies with 4 hidden fillings: Andes mints, cherries, chocolate chips, and pecans. Each batch gets its own color-coded icing. A fun holiday baking project.

Chinese-American almond cookies with butter, ground almonds, and almond extract for double the nutty flavor. Egg-washed and baked golden, these are the takeout-restaurant cookies you can finally make at home.

Almond Cookies: tender Italian-style cookies built on real almond paste, butter, and almond extract. Pressed flat with a sugared glass for crackled, sparkling tops. Makes 5 dozen.

Chocolate walnut bar cookies cut into neat triangles with a smooth vanilla butter frosting. Fudgy, nutty, and cute enough for a cookie tray or bake sale.

Old-fashioned ginger snaps with molasses, butter, and ground ginger. A crispy, spicy cookie recipe that makes six dozen thin, snappy cookies.

Cream cheese butter cookies topped with fresh strawberry halves. A simple thumbprint-style cookie with a tender, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread base and bright berry on top.

Kourabiedes are traditional Greek butter cookies with ground almonds and brandy, dusted heavily in powdered sugar. Fragile, sandy, and meant for celebrations.

Classic Swedish spritz cookies made with a cookie press from a rich butter dough. Decorate with candied fruits or colored sugar for a festive holiday cookie tin that yields 3-4 dozen.

Healthy orange cookies with wheat germ, allspice, and unsweetened chocolate chips. No butter or oil, sweetened with orange juice for 40 guilt-free cookies.

Sandbakelse, traditional Scandinavian butter cookies with cardamom, pressed into mini tart tins and filled with jam. Delicate, sandy-textured holiday cookies dusted with powdered sugar.