Braided Butter Cookies
Mar 11, 2013, Updated May 26, 2025
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Braided Butter Cookies are simple yet delicious cookies that are perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. These butter cookies are dry, but soft and sweet, and great for sharing at family gatherings.
If you love cookie recipes as much as I do, be sure to also try my Gurabii Shortbread Cookies.
I Grew Up Eating These Braided Butter Cookies
Spring Forward! YES!! It’s here! It should never go back to falling back. It should always stay this way. Amen.
It’s exciting because we get an extra hour of daylight. Do you know what that means for a food blogger? More daylight for food photos! And, as the summer approaches, less gloomy days! Less gloomy days equals brighter, happier cookie photos. 🙂
Soooo, what do you think about my braid on these Braided Butter Cookies? Did I nail it? Does it look like a braid? I think it looks darn good. These braided butter cookies are flavored with orange and vanilla, and they practically melt in your mouth. They’ve got a crispy bite with a soft, tender crumb, and they’re perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
I am always iffy about sharing a cookie recipe with you that comes from back home. The process seems so complicated, and unless you have seen it done with your own two eyes, some cookie recipes, or bread recipes, do not make sense.
Can Butter Cookies Be Frozen?
The recipe for these cookies comes from a lady that I have known for over 20 years. She is a dear friend of my parents, and she was thrilled when I asked her to show me how she makes them. A few months ago I spent an entire afternoon with her, and we made 4 batches. That’s like 160 cookies! Good thing these babies last. Throw them in the freezer and they are good for the next 3 to 4 months.
One of the more difficult parts of this recipe is one, adding the correct amount of flour, and that’s why I say start with 3 cups and then work your way up to 4, if need be. And the second difficult part is not eating them all as soon as they come out of the oven.
I have made these three or four times in the last 6 months, and now, finally, I thought it was time to share them with you.
These Butter Cookies Are Essential For The Holidays
First, I am sharing them because you need these cookies in your life, of course. Especially if you like coffee or tea. Secondly, I am sharing them because I have had SO many emails from Macedonian women and men looking for a recipe for THE Braided Butter Cookies. We make these for a number of Holidays, including Easter. And since Easter is right around the corner, I thought this was the perfect time to share.
What Do These Braided Butter Cookies Taste Like?
The cookies are dry, but soft to the bite, sweet, and will satisfy even the strongest cookie cravings. They do very well with a good dip into coffee or tea.
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Braided Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- orange zest
- 4 whole eggs, room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 7 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup orange juice, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
For the egg wash
- 2 egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or electric mixer), beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and orange zest, and keep beating while adding the 4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, one at a time.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk together the orange juice and baking soda in a separate bowl or measuring cup. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, one cup at a time, alternating with orange juice and milk. Beat until well combined.
- Check the dough, and if it's too sticky, add 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup more flour.
- Cover the dough with a clean towel or cling wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Form the dough into golf ball-sized rounds. Roll each round out into about 8-inch ropes. Fold it in a U-shape and twist the arms to form a braid, pressing the ends together at the end. Transfer the cookies to the baking sheets. Continue until all of the cookies are formed.
- To make the egg wash, combine the egg yolks with water and whisk until completely combined. Brush each cookie with the egg wash.
- Bake the cookies for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Halfway through baking, rotate the trays by placing the bottom baking sheet on top and the top baking sheet on the bottom.
- Remove from the oven and let the butter cookies cool completely before serving or storing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I’ll be making good coffee and waiting for you to bring these yummy cookies! So cute. Perfect cute little shape to dip in coffee. 😉
Of course it doesn´t matter how they taste because they are so pretty! No, really, these are so unique and simple in flavor. Gorgeous Kate! Can´t wait to see what my braid looks like!
I am so happy that you were able toshare this recipe finally. My baba used to make these and hands down, they were my family’s FAVORITE. Since she passed away over 30 years ago, we have lost this recipe. My 85 year old 100% Macedonian dad will be thrilled with the memories.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Hi Gina!
I’m so happy to know that you can use this recipe!! Hope your dad will love the cookies! 🙂
I’ve never seen cookies like this and they look so very good. I wish I made sweets/desserts more often so I could try them out (just made apple streusel coffee cake last night) but I’ll definitely keep these in mind for the future.
Of course I need these cookies in my life… perfect braids! Think it would work to add some citrus zest? 🙂
Absolutely!! 🙂 Great idea!
These are so fun, Kate! Perfect to pair with my afternoon tea 🙂
Mmm, I can almost taste these now – SO happy you shared these with us! I totally get the 3 cups flour, a fourth if need be…
and YAY I am with ya on the extra daylight – I always love this time of year, and in the summer, we have light until 9pm!
have a great week!
Yes, you definitely nailed these!!! I can see me dipping them in my afternoon tea right now. Gorgeous and delicious! And yes – let’s just leave time alone!
If that is the result I will go trough any sort of complicated process to bake them!
I love that you made them with the lady that you got the recipe from and I love it when you share recipes from your homeland. Many of them remind me of things my grandma used to make!