Butter cookie

Butter cookies are often piped through a star tip into rings, swirls and rosettes, or rolled and cut into shapes. With so few ingredients, the quality of the butter shows clearly in the flavor, and vanilla is the most common addition.

The dough should be soft enough to pipe but not warm and greasy, or the cookies will lose their shape. Chilling piped cookies briefly before baking helps keep sharp ridges. They are a classic holiday cookie and keep well in a tin.