Butter Bredele (Butterbredele)
Alsace's Christmas butter cookies: crisp at the edges and tender in the middle! It's glazed golden with egg yolk, buttery, delicate, and festive for the holidays. Cut the bredele into stars, hearts or fir trees!
Ingredients
- 250 gr plain flour
- 125 gr unsalted butter
- 100 gr caster sugar
- 2 eggs yolk
- vanilla extract optional
For the eggwash
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp whole milk
Equipment
- cookie cutters in Christmas spirit!
Instructions
1. Cream the butter and sugar
- Beat the softened butter with the caster sugar, vanilla sugar and salt until pale and creamy.
2. Add the yolks
- Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
3. Add the flour
- Add the flour and mix just until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. Don't overwork it.
4. Rest the dough
- Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap it and chill overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
5. Heat the oven
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Line a baking tray with a silicone mat or baking paper.
6. Roll and cut
- On a lightly floured worktop, roll half the dough to 3 to 4mm thick. Keep the rest in the fridge. Cut out shapes and place them on the tray, about 1cm apart.
7. Glaze
- Whisk the egg yolk with the milk and brush a thin layer over the top of each biscuit.
8. Bake
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 8 to 12 minutes, until the edges just turn golden. Leave on the tray for 2 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. Repeat with the rest of the dough and the scraps.
Notes
- Chill if it softens. If the cut biscuits feel soft, put the tray in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking, so they don't spread.
- Watch the colour. Baking time depends on size and thickness. Overbaked bredele turn hard.
- Storage. Keep in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place for about 2 to 3 weeks.
- Leftover egg whites. Use them for meringues or financiers!