These French Butter Cookies, Petit Beurre, are simple, buttery, crisp, barely sweet but addictive, easily made and last indefinitely.
While these cookies are wonderful on their own they are also used in the no bake Bajadera cookie bar from Serbia or Croatia, both of whom claim it. I'll be posting those next week.
To get the requisite crispness these cookies are leavened with Ammonium Carbonate also known as baker’s ammonia. Baking powder can be substituted but the cookies won’t be as crisp. They also benefit from being baked ahead and stored in an air tight container where they will last for weeks.
Baking gets better when you subscribe to receive this PDF on getting the most out of baking including information on equipment, ingredients and baking equipment.
Traditionally, these cookies have little extensions at each corner called "ears" and wavy edges. For the sake of expediency I omit the "ears" and use a pastry cutter when cutting the cookies. Plain edges are fine also.
Ingredients
All ingredients are listed left to right.
Back Row: all-purpose flour, milk. Middle Row: unsalted butter, granulated sugar. Front row: ammonium carbonate, vanilla, salt.
- Butter - Unsalted European butter with its higher fat content is best here since these depend upon butter for their flavor.
- Ammonium Carbonate - Also known as Baker's Ammonia is used for the crispest cookies and crackers. While baking powder can be used the cookies won't be as crisp.
See recipe card for quantities
Instructions
Step 1. Flour, salt, and ammonium carbonate are placed in the bowl of a processor.
Step 2. Cold, cut up butter is placed over the flour in the bowl of the processor.
Step 3. The ingredients are processed until the butter is indistinguishable.
Step 4. The milk and vanilla are combined in a cup.
Step 5. The milk and vanilla are poured over the ingredients in the food processor.
Step 6. The dough will process in large clumps first. Scrape down and continue processing, rearranging if needed to form a ball. It may take a bit before it does.
Step 7. The dough processed into a ball (mostly). The dough should be quite cold and ready to roll. If not, chill until cold but not hard.
Step 8. The dough is out of the processor and placed on the work surface.
Step 9. The dough is brought together and flattened into a round. Although the dough can be rolled all at once it is easier if divided in two.
Step 10. The round is placed between two pieces of waxed paper to be rolled out. Look at this post of cut out cookies for technique photos and why I prefer waxed paper to parchment or anything else.
Step 11. Roll the dough between two pieces of waxed paper to about ⅛"thick. Place it on a tray and refrigerate or freeze before cutting.
Step 12. Cut into rectangles 1 ¼ x 2 ½ inches. Freeze again before transferring to baking pans. Bring dough scraps to room temperature and re-roll as necessary.
Step 13. Lift the frozen cookies off the waxed paper with an offset spatula. The cookies don't spread much so place them about 1" apart.
Step 14. Prick the cookies with a fork four or five times down the length of the cookie.
Step 15. Tray of baked cookies on a tray.
Equipment
Pastry Wheel is used to make the traditional wavy edges as in the opening photo.
Storage
These cookies should be made ahead and stored in an airtight tin where they will last indefinitely.
Top Tip
Ammonium Carbonate or Baker's Ammonia is used as their leaving agent in Europe whenever a crisp cookie or cracker is desired. Be aware the smell is very strong - this is what is used to bring people who have fainted to so don't take a whiff. While some of the smell may permeate the kitchen while the cookies bake, no hint will be left in the cookies or the kitchen.
These are easiest rolled very, very thin between wax paper and frozen before easily cutting them with a pastry wheel or just a knife. The holes, made with a fork, are de rigueur.
If using salted butter, reduce the salt to ¼ teaspoon.
More Cookies I Think you Might Like:
French Macarons with Chocolate and Raspberry Filling
French Butter Cookies - Petit Beurre
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (280 grams or 10 ounces)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ammonium carbonate or baking powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter cold (114 grams or 4 ounces)
- ½ cup sugar + 2 tablespoons (125 grams or 4 ⅓ ounces)
- ⅓ cup milk whole or 2% can be used
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Place the flour, salt and ammonium carbonate or baking powder in the processor bowl.
- Cut the butter into little cubes and add it to the processor. Process until the butter is indistinguishable.
- Add the sugar and process several seconds to mix.
- Combine the milk and vanilla; pour it over the ingredients in the processor and process. Scrape down, rearrange in the bowl and continue processing until a ball forms. It may take a bit before it does. It should be quite cold and easy to roll; if not refrigerate briefly to chill it.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough in half (about 300 grams or 10 ½ ounces each). Place one piece between 2 pieces of wax paper and roll ⅛” thick. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for a few minutes so they firm up.
- Remove the top piece of paper and measure strips 1 ¼” wide. Cut with a pastry wheel or knife. If the dough becomes soft, return it to the freezer. Cut strips 2 ½” wide in the opposite direction. You will have cookies that are 1 ¼” x 2 ½”. Freeze until hard.
- Remove the cookies to baking sheets, placing them about 1” apart. Prick with a fork 4 or 5 times down the long side.
- Bake for 13 to 17 minutes until the edges are browned. Cool completely.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough, adding the scraps from the first.
Notes
Nutrition
Christopher Moore says
FYI, I bought Plugra butter thinking it is from Italy(?), but on the stick wrapping it says made in USA and that it is distributed by Dairy Farmers of America, that means the Plugra Company bought it from somewhere else and simply packaged it. Land-O-Lakes and a few other brands say that they manufactured the butter and not merely distributed it. It’s called European Style Butter, not European Butter. We’ll see how the is quits taste.
Christopher Moore says
…how the biscuits taste.
Helen S Fletcher says
Let me know what you think. I will say that there might be some difference even if it is 82% butterfat as is European butter because of the conditions the cows are grown on. That affects the taste of butter and milk chocolate. So, while they are following the formula there can still be some difference in taste.
Christopher Moore says
The cookies tasted delicious, a bit sweeter than LU Petit Beurre and softer because of the freshness. I bought a Petit Beurre press that makes the rounded edges and the little holes along with the words 'PETIT BEURRE' embossed in the center. I used two 1/8" sticks to roll them right down to the correct thickness. Will buy a rolling pin that does that next. I'm closing in on it, so much cheaper to make than to buy. My hint is to keep the dough dry like clay. Thanks for this great recipe.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Christopher, thanks so much for the review and letting us all know how it worked. I love this cookies. I think the press is a great idea. I didn't know they made one. Thanks for sharing.
Helen S Fletcher says
It is, I suspect, like Callebaut chocolate which I use. Callebaut is originally a chocolate from Belgium. However, it is now the same formula but made under license in Canada and the United States. The word Style is because they can't call it European butter because it isn't. They probably have a license to make it but have to do so by the original formula. I usually use Kerrygold made in Ireland if I use European butter. Mostly I use American butter.
Don Massey says
Hi Helen - thanks for a great recipe! Now, what didn't work for me.
First you called out European Butter. I only had "good old regular butter" and thought...what the heck, i'll just use this. Wrong! So...off to my baking journey.
I bought some Ammonium Carbonate a few months back and never opened or used it. I thought - this is a prefect recipe to give this a try. The ingredients are all in my kitchen and your thought filled instructions looked perfect. So..I set off to make my version of your cookie. I made the cookies and rolled them out on waxed paper as you instructed. Sadly, after pulling my rolled dough from the freezer, all the dough just flat out stuck to the wax paper. ....a disaster.
So ...channeling my inner Helen Fletcher, I made my way to find European Butter. Luckily an International Store is close by and snagging my Plugara European butter, I set out to bake another batch. It worked!
In all of this, follow the recipe and be careful when trying to substitute. The recipe was written for a reason. My own rules are follow a recipe fully first before ever innovating! Thanks for a great recipe, Helen!
Helen S Fletcher says
Hey Don, so happy to see you're still baking. When rolling between wax paper, be sure to see the post about using the wax paper technique . I think you didn't pull the bottom wax paper up and then replace it on the bottom before releasing. The paper most likely wrinkled sealing the dough inside the wrinkles. These are amazing cookies and you will love what I do with them next week. Thanks for the thoughful comment.
Eileen Murphy says
Happy post Thanksgiving! I made these today, Helen. I normally don't enjoy working with cookies with such specific dimensions. I am really terrible at measuring. But I have faith in your instructions. These turned out great and I can't wait for next week.
Nancy says
My question is off topic. It is about pie crust. For my last 4 attempts at pie crust I have followed the American butter crust receipt in The New Pastry Chef cookbook. But my crust turns out crumbly rather than flaky. It tastes great, but I cannot pinch the rim of the pie crust it is just too dry. Is there too much cake flour? I measure, not weigh. Any suggestions?
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Nancy, For sure measuring flour by volume is problematic. It can be too heavy one time and too light another which is why I am so fanatic about using a scale. It is consistent always. Also, I haven't used that crust for a long time. I actually reversed the amount of all purpose as it relates to the cake flour. Try this one. I use it all the time and have taught it. Go here American Pie Crust Tutorial.
nancy says
Thanks you!
Rocky says
Hi Helen! How are you? Hope all is well there and you had a good holiday.
I just received this message a few minutes ago and already got the ingredients out to make them. They sound great. Anything with bakers ammonia and crispy cookies are a favorite around this house. Two questions. One is most of the other recipes I make using bakers ammonia suggest "melting" it in the liquid in the recipe. This one has it mixed with the dry ingredients. Any difference? And two, what do you mean by these cookies usually have ears on the corners. Is that done with a cookie cutter? I am looking forward to the cookie from Croatia, we went there this past summer. I wish I knew about them to try a taste.
Helen S Fletcher says
Hi Rocky - In the first place, ammonium carbonate does not melt, it may dissolve though as you well know. I have never done this. I just add it to the dry ingredients with not problems. Since I haven't used the wet method, I don't know. Let me know if you see any. The four corners of the rectangles protrude out like little ears. There is a special cutter for these but the ones I can find are just rectangles for which no cutter is needed. Interesting you went to Croatia. My father was Croatian, my mother was Serbian - I have all sides covered! Happy to hear from you.