Hi and welcome to Houseful of Cookies 2018! If you’re not the type to read a story with a recipe, you can go ahead and scroll down now. I won’t mind. We’re making Rich Butter Cookies also known as Lunchroom Butter Cookies and I’m sure you’ll love them.
This year’s cookie is a simple version of the lunchroom butter cookies that my mom made for us a LOT back when we were kids. The baking of them slowed down a lot when folks at our church started doing their copycat versions, and well, I miss them. My brother Daniel can do a mean version of them (but don’t tell him I said that.) and in true sibling form, I wanted to make sure that I had something to rival his. Blame birth order.
The holidays always have me missing something. Usually, it’s my sister, but this year, it’s family gatherings. My extended family kind of had a dynamic shift earlier this year, and I’m still coming to terms with it. I guess baking these cookies makes me feel like I’m back at home and everything is normal. One can only hope and wish.
These cookies take just four ingredients. Butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla extract – okay and a pinch of salt, so five if you’re really into counting pinches. That’s it. You’ll also be using a cereal spoon to measure, so grab one of those too. Don’t argue with me, just do it.
The key to making these properly is whipping the butter until it’s light and fluffy. You need ALL the air in it, otherwise, you end up with a dense and crumbly cookie. After all of your dough is combined it should pull away from your bowl cleanly. That’s how you will know that you’ve done it the correct way. If not, add a bit more flour, because I can assure you that your butter quotient is still too high if the dough is still creamy.
If you grew up in Chicago before baking was outlawed in the school system – you would have been able to try these famous lunchroom butter cookies. I only changed the name of them because HOLIDAYS!
Rich Lunchroom Butter Cookies
Rich Lunchroom Butter Cookies
If you love butter and sugar - these cookies are for you. Simple ingredients, simple assembly. You can be from mix to cookie in less than an hour.
Ingredients
- 1 pound butter , unsalted and softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 cups flour , all purpose
- 1 spoonful vanilla extract, Yes, an eating spoonful of vanilla extract - no exact measurements here!
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cream softened butter in a bowl until light and airy. The butter should turn pale yellow when it's done
- Add sugar in 1/4 cup increments, blending after each addition until it's all incorporated
- Add a spoonful of vanilla extract. Remember, you'll be using one of the spoons you eat your cereal or soup with. No measuring spoons necessary, and make sure it's not a small spoon for tea!
- Add a pinch of salt, and incorporate. If you're using salted butter, you can skip this step.
- Add flour in 1/2 cup increments and blend fully until all four cups have been added. The dough shouldn't be creamy or sticky, but almost like the kinetic sand that so many kids are into these days.
- Pull ping pong sized portions of dough off, and roll into a ball. Place ball on cookie sheet, and then using your pointer, middle and ring finger, press down into the dough until two "hills" rise between your pointer and middle, and your middle and ring fingers.
- Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until the hills and edges of your cookies are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a bit as they will still be a bit soft. They'll continue to cook after you remove them from the oven because of all of that butter!
- Let cool on a cookie rack and enjoy with milk, ice cream or alone. If you're feeling ambitious, try all three.
Notes
Yes, I'm really telling you to use an eating spoon. Just trust me on this.
Your fingers should look as if you're making the number three or the letter 'w' when you go to press the cookies down. It doesn't have to be wide, and there really isn't an art to it.
Enjoy the cookies, and make sure to check out the other cookie recipes from all the bloggers participating in Houseful of Cookies this year. I thought that I had my stuff together, but that Route 66 road trip really put a cramp in my style. I want to shout out Jen Goode from 100 Directions for changing the year out for me on the logo and being so sweet in doing so because graphic designer I am not. I owe you a cookie Jen! However, she wouldn’t have had anything to change had it not been for my design diva Mandi from Chewsy Lovers for designing it in the first place. My village may be small, but it’s mighty!
Holiday Rich Butter Cookies – Houseful Of Nicholes (that’s ME)
Rolo Pretzel Cookies – Creating Really Awesome Fun Things
Best Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies – Ashley & Co
Minty Holiday Cookies – Amy Ever After
Scottish Shortbread Christmas Cookie Wedges – Albion Gould
Loaded Oatmeal Raisin Cookies – This Worthey Life
Brown Sugar Shortbread – Eat Picks
Pretty Decorated Sugar Cookies – 100 Directions
Christmas Rose Cookies – Divas With A Purpose
Nutella Brownie Cookies – Big Green Pen
Norwegian Cookies – Kringla – Little Family Adventure
Cake Mix Christmas Cookies – Mom Generations
Did you say Butter cookies? I love them, always have (since the very first time I ate one) and more than likely always will! My dad introduced these cookies to us when we where little. Around the holidays a company he worked for would give out these huge ginormous blue and gold tins of butter cookies, which of coarse he would bring home to us and we loved them. I like the straightforward simplicity of these cookies and they go great with vanilla bean ice cream! Thank you for sharing!
Hi. What flours do you use. I don’t the all purpose flour. Is it a different flour we can use to make the cookies taste like the real butter cookies. Thank you
I use all purpose. I’m not sure if others will translate as well. If you do end up trying, let me know how it works out!