My grandmother always had a blue tin of milk cookies on the shelf, and the rattle of that lid was the best sound in her house. They were never crisp or fancy, just soft, pale little cookies that melted with a cup of tea or a glass of cold milk. She made them from pantry staples in a few minutes whenever company was on the way. This is her recipe, written down exactly the way she made it, and it still disappears just as fast.
Servings: 12 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 11 min
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (115 g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) whole milk
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the soft butter and sugar with a hand mixer or a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and fluffy. This is what makes the cookies light, so do not rush it.
- Beat in the egg, then the milk and the vanilla. The mixture may look a little curdled at this point; it will come together once the flour goes in.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl, then stir it into the butter mixture in two additions, just until a soft, smooth dough forms. It should feel like play dough and barely stick to your fingers. If it is too sticky, add 1 to 2 tbsp more flour.
- Roll the dough into balls the size of a walnut, about 1 tbsp each, and set them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the sheets. Press each ball gently with the bottom of a glass or a fork to about 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies are puffed and set and only the bottoms are lightly golden. The tops should stay pale. That is the sign of a soft milk cookie.
- Let them cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. Dust with powdered sugar once they are completely cool.
Tips and variations
- For a little sparkle, roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before pressing them.
- A pinch of nutmeg or the grated zest of half a lemon gives them a lovely old-fashioned flavor.
- Keep them in a tin with a slice of bread; the bread keeps the cookies soft for up to 5 days.
- The dough balls freeze well; bake them straight from frozen, adding 2 minutes.
Put the kettle on, fill a tin and share these with someone you love. That is what Grandma would have done.
