Last updated on November 4th, 2023.
Butter Meringue Cookies are such a delightful treat. Soft buttery dough filled with sweet smooth meringue then rolled and sliced into beautiful rose-shaped cookies.
Funny thing about this recipe. I inherited it from my Morrocan grandmother but a short google search revealed that this is a Finnish recipe. Finland and Morroco. The only explanation I have is that it most likely it’s origin in France.
But It makes no difference, to be honest. These cookies are truly amazing. As they bake the meringue rises to the top and gets crispy. The perfect complement to the tender and soft dough.
The cookies are a unique texture, they are tender and buttery but with a slightly crumbly texture.
Ingredients
- Butter. You can use salted or unsalted, but make sure it is softened.
- Egg yolks. The absence of egg white makes these cookies so tender and soft.
- Sugar. A very small amount to soften the dough, the sweetness comes from the meringue filling.
- Milk. To make up for the lack of water coming from the egg white and to add some flavor. You can use water or cream instead if you wish.
- All-purpose flour. Use the brand that you like, I am a fan of Unbleached.
- Baking powder. It will help the cookies puff and ooze the meringue out.
Assembling the cookies:
The rolling technique gives the beautiful rose shape of the cookies we all know when baking cinnamon rolls. However, unlike cinnamon rolls, where we roll the dough into a log and then slice, I like to cut the dough into strips and then gently roll it to prevent the soft meringue from oozing out as we slice it.
Storing the cookies
Best at room temperature for up to 5 days. Note that if you seal the cookies they will become even more tender. If stored in the refrigerator, make sure to seal them in an airtight container for up to 1 week. In the freezer for up to 3 weeks.
FAQ
They are tender and crumbly. A combination of sugar cookies and shortbread cookies.
Yes. But make sure not to over-pack them and pack the packages really well. They are very tender and can break easily.
Up to 5 days at room temperature.
Yes, be sure to spread it very gently as the dough is really soft.
Now Let’s Talk About This Butter Meringue Cookies:
- The tutorial pictures above are just a suggestion of how to assemble the cookies. However, you can roll the dough, spread the meringue roll again into a log then cut. The cookies may lose a bit of their symmetric look but will get a more interesting, rustic look.
- The dough calls for only 1 TBS of sugar. Do not be tempted to add more, the sweetness of the cookies comes from the meringue.
- The recipe calls for milk. However, you can use sour cream, cream, or even water instead.
- For extra flavor, feel free to fold 1 TBS of instant vanilla pudding into the meringue.
- When it comes to flavor, you can really have fun and play around. Here are some options: Add 1 tsp orange zest to the dough. Replace 1/4 cup of flour with cocoa powder. Also, add your choice of extract to the meringue.
- You can also sprinkle the top of the cookies with some sprinkles before baking.
HAPPY BAKING!!!
Here are some more fun recipes you might enjoy:
One more thing…
But don’t forget to tag @OneSarcasticBaker on Instagram if you bake this recipe. Would love to see your creations!
Butter Meringue Cookies
Ingredients
- 2 Egg yolks Room temp.
- 1 TBSP Sugar (15g)
- 2 Sticks Butter, soften (225g)
- 2 TBSP Lukewarm milk, full fat.
- 2 Cups AP Flour (240g)
- 1 TBSP Baking powder
Meringue
- 2 Egg whites Room temp.
- 1/2 Cup Sugar
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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In a bowl of a standing mixer, mix the butter, egg yolks, sugar, and milk.
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In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder. Slowly add it to the egg mixture and mix just to combine.
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Place the dough on a floured surface and divide it into two parts. Allow the dough to rest while you make the meringue.
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To make the meringue, place the egg whites in a bowl of a standing mixer and using the whisk attachment. Whisk on high for about 1 minute. Slowly add the sugar in 2-3 parts and keep whisking until strong meringue forms (about 5-7 minutes.).
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Roll each dough piece into 12" x 8" rectangle and spread half the meringue on top, leaving 1/4 inch of bare dough on the top and bottom of the dough.
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Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 12 equal stripes.
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Roll each strip from one end to the next. Gently life the rolled cookie and place on the lined cookies sheet.
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Preheat the oven to 300F and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cookies get a golden color.
Recipe Notes
- You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- The cookies are best when stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. When baked there is no need to refrigerate.
Hi Dee, the recipe calls for 2 sticks of butter but nowhere in the method is it mentioned.
Hi Jane,
you mix the butter with the egg yolks and milk during the first stage.
Love the idea.
Bake a batch today and really like them, so easy and delicious
Thanks
These look amazing! I’d love to include in my cookie boxes. Do you think they would be ok to pack and ship? Also, do you have any suggestions on packing methods?
Hi Donna, I absolutely love this question. The cookies are very delicate and there is a chance they might not make it 100% unbroken,but I have shipped these myself many times with no issues. Make sure to use a container vs. a bag and not to overcrowd them or leave too much space.
Salted or unsalted butter? How are they stored? Do they need to be refrigerated? What is the shelf life, how long can I expect these to stay fresh?What is the texture when they are baked. Are they soft and chewy or crunchy?
Some of these questions are important to me because I do intend to ship them. I like to know the texture so I packed them with like cookies. Crunchy with crunchy, soft with soft. They will also have to travel approximately five days and if they’re going to get very hard this might not be a good candidate to ship. Thank you.
Hi Janis
You can use salted or unsalted. I used unsalted. The cookies are best when stored at room temperature for up to 5 days. The cookies are more soft and tender but they also have a crumbly bite. Please know that the cookies can break easily and might not travel so well.
Hi. These biscuits look delicious.
How much is 2 sticks of butter? Would it be possible to give the weight in grams?
In south africa we get our butter in 500g blocks.
Thanks.
Hi,
One cup is 225g, so about half a butter block.
Pardon, I don’t speak English properly, I speak Spanish. Please, can you tell me how much grs. each stick butter ? Thanks a lot from Spain . I love your recipes …and the your blogs name !
Hello it’s 225 g butter. I added the weight in grams to the recipe.
Ok wow these are officially my favorite cookies of all time. I haven’t baked in a while and I honestly butchered the process (meringue never reached stiff peaks, I didn’t compact my dough enough, so it was kind of crumbling as I rolled it, etc) and they still turned out well! Point being: this seems to be a very forgiving recipe. I added some almond extract to the meringue because almond belongs in everything 🙂 Thanks, Dee!
Thank you Christine! really appreciate it