The butter cookies without eggs are delicate and crumbly cookies that literally melt in your mouth. Their main characteristic is that they are made with egg-free shortcrust pastry, which has the classic buttery taste of shortcrust pastry but with a lighter and more delicious texture. They are perfect cookies to accompany tea or coffee or to enrich a dessert buffet along with almond paste treats and other delicious cookies. They are also perfect as a dessert to finish a meal or as a delicious gift idea.
I am a fan of butter cookies, I especially love jam thumbprints and horseshoes, but I also love all their variations. Every Christmas, it has become a tradition to bake and give away lots of butter cookies along with other traditional Christmas sweets. The scent of cookies at home makes the Christmas atmosphere even more beautiful, and my daughters enjoy decorating them, but especially tasting them.
This recipe has been in my recipe book for many years now. Since I tried it, I haven’t let it go. Compared to the classic shortcrust pastry for butter cookies, the egg-free shortcrust pastry is more delicate and crumbly. It is a bit more difficult to handle when creating the cookies, as it lacks eggs to act as a binder. However, there are small tricks that will help you make perfect cookies:
– Work the dough as little as possible to avoid warming it up;
– Always work the pastry well chilled from the refrigerator: divide the pastry into several parts and, while working on one piece, keep the rest of the pastry in the fridge.
– Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper;
– Always flour the cookie cutters so it will be easier to extract the cookies;
– Always chill in the fridge for 30-40 minutes before putting the cookies in the oven.
Following these simple tips, you will get absolutely amazing butter cookies without eggs.
I made classic jam thumbprints, which I filled with jam and Nutella, but you can shape your cookies however you like and choose your favorite filling.
Well, now let’s move on to the recipe and see together how to make these delicious butter pastries. But first, I’ll leave you with other delicious ideas that you must try!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6People
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, Christmas
- Energy 606.44 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 74.38 (g) of which sugars 34.03 (g)
- Proteins 5.82 (g)
- Fat 32.95 (g) of which saturated 22.75 (g)of which unsaturated 9.78 (g)
- Fibers 2.14 (g)
- Sodium 77.04 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 133 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for making eggless butter cookies
- 7 oz butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.67 cups potato starch
- 0.67 cups powdered sugar
- 1 packet vanillin
- 1 pinch salt
- to taste jam (flavors to taste)
- to taste hazelnut spread (or other spreadable cream)
Tools for making eggless butter cookies
- Work surface
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
Steps for making eggless butter cookies
Let’s see all the steps together to prepare the butter cookies without eggs filled with jam or hazelnut spread.
Let’s start with the preparation of the shortcrust pastry. For convenience and organization, you can prepare it 1-2 days in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Furthermore, you can prepare it with any mixer, stand mixer, Bimby, or by hand.
Put the sifted flour and starch in the bowl. Also add the vanillin and a pinch of salt.
Add the cold butter in pieces and blend for a few seconds until you have a ‘sandy’ mixture. If preparing by hand, work quickly with your fingertips to avoid warming the dough too much.
The mixture should have a consistency similar to grated cheese.
Add the powdered sugar at this point.
Work the dough for a few more seconds.
Transfer it to a work surface.
Compact the shortcrust pastry with your hands, working it until you get a firm and smooth dough ball.
Flatten it slightly with your hands or with the rolling pin to a thickness of 0.6 inches.
Wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
After the resting time in the fridge, take the dough, divide it into 3 or 4 parts. Keep one part out to create the first cookies. Put the rest back in the fridge.
Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of 0.12 inch.
With floured cookie cutters, create even numbered discs. Cut a central hole on half of them. You can re-roll the scraps to make more cookies in different shapes, but I recommend chilling the scraps before re-rolling them.
Place the butter cookies without eggs on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Chill the baking sheet in the fridge for at least 30-40 minutes. This way, the cookies will keep their shape perfectly. Bake them in a preheated static oven at 320°F for about 10 minutes. The cookies should remain ‘pale’. Once out of the oven, do not touch them as they are very delicate. Wait for them to cool down.
Once cooled, you can fill them. Slightly heat the jam you will use: this way it will act as a glue between the two cookies. On one of the solid cookies, place a bit of jam without getting too close to the edges.
Close with one of the cookies with a hole. I filled them with jam and Nutella, but you can fill them as you prefer.
Storage and Tips
– These butter cookies without eggs keep well in a tin box or an airtight container for 4-5 days. Since they are filled, they will tend to become moist and soft over time, but they will still be delicious.
– Besides jam thumbprints, you can also make horseshoes and other simple butter cookies in various shapes with this shortcrust pastry.
– For the preparation of butter cookies, I recommend getting the rolling pin with thickness guides or dough sticks. This way, you will be sure that your cookies will be perfect, with the same thickness and uniform baking.
– Before cutting the cookies, always flour the cookie cutters: this will make it easier to remove the cookie.
– You can make a cocoa variation by replacing 20-25 g of flour with the same quantity of unsweetened cocoa.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Can I use this shortcrust pastry to make a tart?
No, this shortcrust pastry is too crumbly and delicate to support the weight of the filling. Use it only for making cookies, either simple or filled.
Can I replace potato starch?
Yes, if you don’t have it, you can replace it with the same amount of all-purpose flour, but this will slightly change the texture of the cookies.
Can I replace butter with oil?
No, in this shortcrust pastry it’s not possible. Butter is a fundamental ingredient of the recipe, giving structure and a specific taste to the shortcrust pastry and cookies. Alternatively, you can use vegetable margarine, although, in terms of taste, it’s not the same. If you want butter-free cookies, you can use oil-based shortcrust pastry.
Can I use granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar?
It’s preferable not to: granulated sugar would make the shortcrust pastry rougher and less smooth.
