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Citrus Butter Cookie Dough

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 21, 2007

Yield

Yields 6 dozen single-layer cookies

Citrus Butter Cookie Dough

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ cup cornstarch 2 teaspoons baking powder Pinch table salt 2 egg yolks 3 tablespoons light cream ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon orange oil ¼ teaspoon lemon oil ¼ teaspoon citric acid 1 cup granulated sugar 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened4 tablespoons vegetable shortening 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon grated lime zest 1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone paper.
  2. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, vanilla, orange oil, lemon oil, and citric acid together in a measuring cup.
  3. Cream sugar with butter and shortening until lightened and pasty. Add zests. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
  4. Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
  5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.) Proceed with rolling, shaping, and baking instructions under selected cookie. Selected shapes: Classic cut-outs; spirals made with another colored dough; turnovers; mock thumbprints.
Citrus Butter Cookie Dough

Citrus Butter Cookie Dough

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Yields 6 dozen single-layer cookies

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon orange oil
¼ teaspoon lemon oil
¼ teaspoon citric acid
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon orange oil
¼ teaspoon lemon oil
¼ teaspoon citric acid
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons light cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon orange oil
¼ teaspoon lemon oil
¼ teaspoon citric acid
1 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a holiday cookie dough recipe that could be shaped into a variety of rich and tender cookies. When we added some cornstarch, which tenderized the dough, we had our perfect butter cookie recipe.

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone paper.
  2. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, vanilla, orange oil, lemon oil, and citric acid together in a measuring cup.
  3. Cream sugar with butter and shortening until lightened and pasty. Add zests. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
  4. Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
  5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.) Proceed with rolling, shaping, and baking instructions under selected cookie. Selected shapes: Classic cut-outs; spirals made with another colored dough; turnovers; mock thumbprints.

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