Grandma's Butterhorn Cookies
Butterhorn Cookies with a flaky sour cream pastry dough rolled up with cinnamon sugar and walnuts. The bottoms get deliciously caramelized during baking! So good with an afternoon cup of coffee.
Butterhorn Recipe
Feeling a bit homesick as I settle back into life in Virginia so I thought I'd post this butterhorn cookie recipe.
Grandma only makes them on Christmas Eve, but they're really too versatile to label a Christmas cookie (they're also a great breakfast pastry with a cup of hot coffee).
These however definitely remind me of Christmas and family.
Making Christmas cookies all December long is a family tradition and we make so many cookies!
Have you seen all the Christmas cookies on my site? I even offer a free Christmas cookie cookbook to email subscribers (bottom of this post) with all my pro tips.
The flaky, buttery dough is similar to pie crust, but enriched with sour cream.
It's then rolled up with walnuts and cinnamon sugar that caramelizes, giving it a nice chewy-crisp texture.
They're very much like rugelach. Maybe the same thing, different name.
If you like cinnamon, you might also like my Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Cookies or my soft and chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies.
There are a few steps involved with chilling and rolling the dough.
This must be done, but since the dough gets divided into 3 parts, you can keep a batch in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze to bake fresh cookies at a later date.
After rolling the dough out thinly, sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar walnut mixture.
The nuts can be left out completely, or you can substitute a different nut.
Next, slice the dough into triangles. I use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into even wedges and it makes assembly a breeze.
Roll up each crescent starting with the wide end and bake. Enjoy the incredible scent as they cook!
Pin these butterhorns for later!
Grandma's Butterhorn Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup cold salted butter
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg yolk slightly beaten
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¾ cup walnuts finely chopped
Instructions
- Cut butter into flour until evenly distributed. Small chunks of butter are ok.
- Mix egg yolk and sour cream together, then add to flour mixture, stirring just until dough comes together.
- Divide dough into 3 equal parts, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Combine sugar, cinnamon and walnuts; set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll one portion of dough into 12-inch circle. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the sugar mix. Cut circle into 16 even wedges and roll up firmly starting with the wide end.
- Place on cookie sheet and space 2 inches apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until delicately browned. Repeat with remaining 2 portions of dough.
So flakey and chewy, and I reduce the sugar by quite a bit too and they're still delicious. Everyone loves them. Honestly, we hardly want to be without them in the freezer as they thaw beautifully and provide just the right high note with coffee or tea. Kind of like the best of a croissant in a cookie. I use 18% fat sour cream which might be part of the goodness.
I learned how to make these as a kid in the mid 1960's. They are truly the best! Christmas wouldn't be the same without them. Exactly the same recipe except instead of butter I use stick margarine (Imperial). You can make them and instead of baking them freeze them on a cookie sheet then when you need to have them just bake as above until lightly golden.
It is a sticky dough but you roll it out cold (that helps) and flour the dough.
Glad to see the recipe lives on!
Can you freeze these after baking?
Yes
I love this recipe! I too have been making these for years as they are a favourite for Christmas and parties. I'm wondering if I could try making these with greek yogurt. I have so much I need to use and don't have any sour cream in the house.
I think it could work in this recipe. Let us know if you try it!
I make my hers and before baking I brush with beaten egg white .. makes them shiny !
I’ve been making similar butterhorn’s for years (except my butter is room temperature) but they seem to dry out very fast…I tried storing them in a tin and then I tried a Rubbermaid container, but they dry out so fast. Is there another way of storing these cookies that they last more than a few days. I make them for christmas gifts and sometimes I don’t get to give them out until 10 days after baking and they are dry..so disappointing cause they are such a tasty cookie. Thanks in advance for your help.
These cookies are a little on the "crisp" side, but I find them to be more flaky and chewy than dry. Does yours have the sour cream and egg? To keep them fresh until you're ready to serve, you can freeze them after baking. My grandma used to make them in advance and store them outside (in the Midwest) until Christmas 🙂
I have a recipe that uses 1 cup sour cream, that’s the only difference. They always leak, does anyone else have this problem?
Hi Karen, hopefully someone will have some tips for you. Mine always leak a little too and get caramelized on the bottom. We love that about them! Try adding a tablespoon or two of flour to the cinnamon sugar mixture and see if that helps.
trying a hand at baking.. to mix this dough could I process in mixer on the fold dial, not good doing this by hand or the hook you use for bread?
Do you have a food processor? That would be best using the pulse setting.
I've been making these for yrs and my aunt taught me and she was a great baker I put dough in the middle of a pile of confectionery sugar turn dough over so it's well covered in the sugar and as I roll I keep putting more conf sugar on as soon as it gets sticky making sure the bottom & top always has conf sugar covering it, I know it's alot of sugar but they turn out great its a family favorite every year
I'm also having difficulties rolling out the dough. It's so sticky! It's been chilling in the fridge for 2h and I followed the recipe exactly. Any suggestions?
I usually have the opposite problem with the dough being stiff! Flour the rolling pin, counter/table and the dough really well.
I asked my younger son what he wanted asaCookie for Christmas this year.. My friend was able to find your recipe for me.. so I will certainly try it.. My son, said he can only get these Cookies at family function’s..
I hope he enjoys and Merry Christmas!
I make my cookies with the exact same ingredients But I have trouble rolling out the dough. If I can only find a Great Tip to roll them out I would be Home free.
Hi Rae, what is the trouble? Is the dough cracking? Sticking? Not coming out round? Make sure the dough is rested so it rolls out easier.
@Rae, I used to have trouble rolling out the dough, but now I have good luck rolling out the dough with a pastry cloth tube pulled over the rolling pin (can buy at stores, such as Bed Bath & Beyond) and rolling the dough on a pastry plastic mat (or a cloth pastry mat works, also available at stores or online). If you don’t have access to those, I’ve read that people roll the dough out between wax paper or plastic wrap, and that helps it stick together. I use powdered sugar (like my Gram did) to dust the dough and rolling pin before I start rolling. Good luck!
@Rae, try using confectionery sugar instead of flour it works great but you have to keep it well coated