These butter cookies made with whole spelt flour come from an easy, low-sugar recipe: they have a rustic, crumbly texture and are different from classic shortbread made with 00 flour.
I only had 70 g of butter and I made these fragrant, crumbly cookies with simple, wholesome ingredients, perfect for everyday eating.
Ideal for breakfast or an afternoon snack, with a full buttery flavor and a naturally crumbly texture.
If you like simple sweets you can also try easy, egg-free butter cookies that are crisp or a tart made with half butter and half extra virgin olive oil, perfect for a balanced texture.
Other alternatives include rustic homemade butter cookies without gluten and a tart made with whole spelt flour, ideal if you prefer less refined flours.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 22 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Christmas
Ingredients
With these quantities you will get about 22 cookies
- 5 tbsp butter (soft)
- 1 egg (medium)
- 4 tbsp unrefined cane sugar (white granulated sugar works too)
- 1 2/3 cups whole spelt flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder (about a level teaspoon)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or lemon zest)
Tools
To prepare the cookies you can use some useful kitchen tools.
Below are the ones I usually use, with a direct link to buy them online.
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Fork
- 1 Rolling pin
- 1 Pastry board silicone is fine too
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Mat silicone baking mat
- Cookie cutters as desired
- 1 Teaspoon
Steps
In a bowl, cream the soft butter with the cane sugar until you obtain a creamy mixture.
Add the egg and mix well until fully incorporated.
Add the vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, the baking powder and the whole spelt flour, mixing until you get a homogeneous dough.
Form a dough disk that will be perfect and easy to work with.
Roll the dough to a thickness of about 3/8 in and cut out the cookies with the desired shapes.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or, as I do, a silicone mat and bake in a static oven at 356°F for 14–15 minutes, until they are lightly golden.
Once baked, let the cookies cool on a rack (preferably): this way they will keep a perfectly crumbly texture.
The result is buttery cookies made with whole spelt flour with a delicate, rustic flavor, lightly sweet and ideal for a simple, wholesome breakfast or snack.
Storage for the butter cookies
The butter cookies made with whole spelt flour keep perfectly for 4–5 days at room temperature, stored in an airtight container.
To preserve their crumbly texture, keep them away from sources of humidity and heat.
If well stored, they remain fragrant and enjoyable as if freshly baked.
👉Variations of the butter cookies
Butter cookies with spelt and chocolate chips
For a richer version, you can add about 1/3 cup of dark chocolate chips. The dough remains unchanged and the cookies will keep their crumbly texture with a more indulgent touch.
Butter cookies with alternative sweeteners
Instead of cane sugar, you can use coconut sugar or slightly reduce the amount to get an even lighter result.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I reduce the sugar in the butter cookies?
Yes, you can slightly decrease the amount of sugar, but keep in mind it also affects the texture as well as the flavor. If you reduce it too much, the cookies may be less crumbly.
Can I replace whole spelt flour with another flour?
Yes, you can replace whole spelt flour with type 0 or 00 wheat flour, obtaining slightly more delicate and less rustic cookies. If you prefer to keep a similar texture, you can also use whole wheat flour. In any case, you may need to adjust the amount of flour slightly depending on absorption.
Is it necessary to let the dough rest in the refrigerator?
No, in this recipe the dough is already easy to work with and resting in the refrigerator is not essential. It can be useful only if the environment is very warm.
