I Get My Culture from Trader Joe's: Cultured Butter Cookies

I don't have a go-to brand of European butter. DC-area stores offer a wide selection of cultured butters and when I need some for a recipe, I usually buy whatever is on sale. But I had not considered buying cultured butter from Trader Joe's until I saw a few rave reviews about it online (like this one). I decided to give it a try, and Melissa Clark's recipe for slice and bake Cultured Butter Cookies seemed like the perfect way to use it.

Making the dough couldn't be simpler. You beat room temperature salted, cultured butter with sugar until light and fluffy; add an egg yolk; and incorporate the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt). I formed the dough into a single large log, rolled it in demerara sugar, wrapped the log in parchment paper, and chilled it overnight.

The next day I sliced the cookies and baked them until the edges were golden; I got 36 cookies from a batch. The cookies were absolutely delightful. There is no flavoring in them -- not even vanilla -- so all that you're tasting when you take a bite is butter, sugar, salt, and egg yolk. They were rich and buttery and had a pleasant shortbread-y texture. The crunchy sugar around the edges is terrific. The only thing I might change if I make these cookies again is to use white sparkling sugar instead of demerara sugar around the outside of the cookies, just for a more sparkly and festive appearance.

I had some butter left over because the recipe calls for 227 grams of butter, but Trader Joe's cultured butter comes in a 250 gram block. Tom and I enjoyed the butter on toasted bagels from Call Your Mother, and it was delicious. The butter and the cookies both get a big thumbs up!

Recipe: "Cultured Butter Cookies" by Melissa Clark, from The New York Times.