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Vera's Buttermilk Cookies

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Submitted by hodgkinj

Vera’s buttermilk cookies use powdered buttermilk and a half-sugar, half-sweetener blend for a lower-sugar tangy sugar cookie. Crisp edges, soft centers, ready in 35 minutes.

YIELD

24 servings

PREP

15 min

COOK

10 min

READY

35 min

Vera’s buttermilk cookies are the lower-sugar cousin of the classic drop sugar cookie, with a clever twist that home bakers should steal more often. Instead of liquid buttermilk that throws off the flour-to-liquid ratio, this recipe uses powdered buttermilk stirred right into the dry ingredients. The tangy flavor reads exactly the same, but the dough stays predictable and bakeable.

The other smart move is splitting the sweetness. Two-thirds cup of regular sugar plus a quarter cup of sugar substitute (Splenda, monk fruit, or stevia work) brings the total sweetness up to a satisfying cookie level while cutting actual sugar grams by about a third. The butter and egg still provide the rich body, the sugar-substitute does not affect texture noticeably at this ratio.

The technique is drop-cookie simple: cream the fats and sweeteners until fluffy, beat in the egg and vanilla, mix in the dry ingredients with water, then drop tablespoonfuls onto a sheet pan. Press each cookie down to your desired thickness before baking. The 10 to 12 minute bake at 350°F (175°C) hits a sweet spot where edges turn golden and centers stay soft. Pair with a cup of hot tea or coffee.

Kitchen Tips

  • Press cookies down before baking. They do not spread much, so the shape you start with is the shape you finish with.
  • Use real butter for the best flavor. Margarine works but tastes flatter.
  • Watch the bake carefully starting at 10 minutes. The lower-sugar dough browns slower than a full-sugar cookie, but once it starts, it goes fast.
  • Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring. Hot lower-sugar cookies are fragile and break easily.

Variations

  • Add ½ teaspoon of lemon or almond extract for a more dimensional flavor.
  • Stir in a half cup of chocolate chips or chopped dried cranberries for studded cookies.
  • Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar before baking for a snickerdoodle-style finish.

Ingredients

½ 118
CUP ML BUTTER
or margarine
158
CUP ML SUGAR
¼ 59
CUP ML SUGAR SUBSTITUTE
eg. Splenda or equiv. *
1 1
LARGE EACH EGG
1 5
TEASPOON ML VANILLA EXTRACT
2 473
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML BUTTERMILK, POWDERED
1 5
TEASPOON ML BAKING SODA
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML SALT
79
CUP ML WATER

Directions

Cream the butter or margarine, sugar and sugar substitute (Agave, Splenda or equiv.) together until light and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla extract and mix at medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl before and after adding the egg and vanilla.

Stir flour, dry buttermilk, baking soda and salt mixture, along with water into the sugar and butter mixture; mix at medium speed to blend well.

Drop dough by 1½ tablespoonfuls onto coolie sheet that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or lined with buttered aluminum foil.

Press cookies down to desired thickness. Bake at 350℉ (180℃) F, preheated oven until just beginning to brown on the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove them to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 27g (1.0 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 106 35% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 3g 13%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 80mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 5g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Sugars g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1% Iron 3%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Low Cholesterol, Trans-fat Free, Low Sodium
 

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