web analytics

Vanilla Pretzel Butter Cookies

Vanilla Pretzel Butter Cookies

The holidays are a time of the year that is always filled with cookies for my family. Everyone bakes them and everyone brings them when we get together for gatherings. My grandmother always had one type of cookie that was storebought and, even with a wealth of homemade cookies to choose from, I often chose to eat a few of those before touching any of the others. The cookies were Danish butter cookies formed in the shape of a pretzel and topped with coarse sugar. I liked the simple butter flavor of the cookies, the crunch of the sugar and, of course, their unique shape. And I only had them a few times during the holiday period, never during the rest of the year. Seeing those cookies brings back memories of childhood, but these days I can bake up a delicious homemade version of them that stirs up the same memories and tastes even better.

My Vanilla Pretzel Butter Cookies are pretzel shaped cookies made with a buttery vanilla cookie dough. They’re fun to make and even more fun to eat! The cookie dough is made with a blend of butter and cream cheese, which gives them a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a slight tang that really sets them apart from other butter cookies. The pretzel shapes are made by hand. The cookie dough is rolled out and shaped into individual pretzels. I pressed each one down very slightly to give the cookies a uniform look and decorated them with plain, coarse sugar. To get the sugar to stick and to help the cookies brown slightly, I brushed them with a lightly beaten egg white before applying the sugar.

I used McCormick Extra Rich Vanilla Extract, which packs a much stronger vanilla flavor than your average vanilla extract. The extract is a new product that the company released for its 125th birthday celebration and it boasts an intense vanilla flavor that is 25% more concentrated than the flavor in their classic vanilla extract. It’s ideal for vanilla lovers (like me!) who want to ensure that they are getting the vanilla flavor they want in baked good without having to pour in half the bottle. Also in honor of their anniversary, McCormick is hosting a program called Flavor of Together, inviting people to share their favorite flavor stories – like my story above – and recipes. For every story shared on any of McCormick’s brand websites or social channels (using #flavorstory), McCormick will donate $1, up to $1.25 million, to United Way to help feed those in need this holiday season!

As an added bonus for Baking Bites readers who want to share their favorite holiday flavor story, I’m partnering with McCormick and hosting a giveaway! One lucky reader will receive a McCormick prize pack featuring baking products and a recipe book in a nifty, reusable canvas tote bag (value $50). To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post with the hashtag #flavorstory and tell me a bit about your favorite holiday flavor story. In other words, give me a brief (or not so brief!) story about a memory about a favorite dish or tell me what you’ll be baking this year to create new memories. The contest ends Friday, November 21st at 11:59 pm PST and one winner will be selected at random from the comments. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail on the comment form (it will not be public), as that is how I will contact the winner. Good luck!

Vanilla Pretzel Butter Cookies
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg white, for topping
2-3 tbsp coarse sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together confectioners’ sugar, butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, followed by vanilla extract. Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Dough will be thick. Divide dough in half and shape into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.
Divide dough into generous 1-inch balls and roll each ball into a rope about 5-6 inches long. Twist each rope into a pretzel shape. Place pretzels onto prepared baking sheet and gently flatten a bit. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white. Use a pastry brush to brush the beaten egg white over the pretzels, then generously sprinkle them with coarse sugar.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until very lightly browned around the edges. Allow to cool for 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Disclosure: This recipe is sponsored by McCormick to mark their 125th anniversary celebration. I was provided with the Extra Rich Vanilla Extract for recipe creation. Any opinions expressed and commentary given are my own, and the recipe is a Baking Bites original.

Update: This contest is closed.  A winner will be announced shortly!

Share this article

61 Comments
  • erin m.
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory I’m excited to make homemade toffee this holiday season!

  • CindyD
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory I bake butter cookie cutouts flavored with almond extract. The recipe was given to me by a coworker many years ago. I have found that using good quality real almond extract makes a big difference. I will definitely try the new McCormick’s instead of almond.
    I also recently tried a Food Network recipe for Vanilla Quick Bread that might be even better with the Extra Rich Vanilla Extract.

  • Krysta
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory My grandmother was an accomplished baker, and had a sugar cookie recipe that everyone loved with cookies that would look like snowflakes from the glass she used to press them. Sadly, she passed away shortly before Christmas. I found a batch of her sugar cookies in her freezer, and baked them up the way she did (including the glass) for the family gathering that Christmas, as a tribute to her. I still use her recipe to this day for my own cookies, though I’ve been tinkering with it to add my own twist. I doubt she’d be upset, because she was always tinkering with recipes herself!

  • Katie
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory My mom and I have always baked and decorated sugar cookies a couple weeks before Christmas. I’m in my 30s and live out of state, but I would never dream of missing out on our tradition!

  • Carla
    November 17, 2014

    I always add vanilla to sweet potato casserole. It gives such a great flavor boost. For Christmas I will bake my great grandmother’s vanilla pound cake. It was the first cake I learned to bake as a small child and it’s the one thing I have to bake every year. #flavorstory

  • Donna @ What the Dog Ate
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory

  • Donna @ What the Dog Ate
    November 17, 2014

    Whoops. My favorite flavor is honey. My mom makes this wonder little fried balls of dough that are then soaked in honey. It tastes like Christmas. (I already did my hashtag flavorstory.)

  • Anna
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory I love helping my mom make her must have fruit cake. despite it’s bad reputation her’s is divine!

  • Cathy
    November 17, 2014

    Those are the first cookies I eat out of the tin .
    # flavorstory double the vanilla in every recipe!c

  • LauriM
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory Every year, my grandma, mom & I make homemade sugar and gingerbread cut-out cookies. We listen to Christmas music, talk, drink coffee, & frost & decorate the cookies. Then we eat some cookies before anyone else in the family gets to try them!

  • Susan
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory Even though the cookie spices like cinnamon and ginger really remind everyone of the holidays, my favorite flavor is almond as I baked Almond Crescents for Christmas with my mother when I was a child. In later years I have found that using a rotary grater for the nuts gives just the right sandy texture for these cookies to emphasize the almond flavor along with some almond extract.

  • Bianca @ Sweet Dreaming
    November 17, 2014

    making gingerbread cutouts with my family is my favorite memory and tradition! especially gingerbread reindeer and snowmen 🙂 expanding beyond the men! #flavorstory

  • Sarah H.P.
    November 17, 2014

    #flavorstory Growing up, every Christmas my mom, sister, and me would dedicate an entire day to cookie baking! We would make dozens of at least seven different favors and make plates for all our family gifts! I will never forget being the sprinkle girl with my sister!

  • Lauren G.
    November 17, 2014

    My #flavorstory : Every year my sister, Mom, and I make home sugar cut out cookies and ice them with the colored icing out of the tube from the grocery store…the more icing, the better. By the end of decorating the cookies, we run out of ideas and start decorating them with whatever icing or candy decorations are left over and they always turn out to be the best.

  • Fiora
    November 18, 2014

    That vanilla taste really gave me the oomph! Seriously, I’m kinda drooling over this right now. I can’t resist my sweet tooth calling. Anyway thanks for sharing this. I might do this at weekend together with my niece. =D

  • Eileen
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory: Every year my mother and I make these almond cookies. Not only are they delicious when they are cooked but also raw. The batter contains no eggs! The best way to eat them is after they have been cooked and frozen. Somehow the cookie still stays soft and the almond flavor becomes so much more intense. Can’t wait to see everyone for the holidays!

  • stephanie
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory One year, my Grandma made the biggest stuffed turkey. It was BEAUTIFUL and she was so proud. Unfortunately, my grandfather dropped it while bringing it to the table! Without missing a beat, he scooped everything up and stuffed it “back together.” It was the best turkey we ever had!

  • Theresa Sea
    November 18, 2014

    My #flavorstory memory is hosting our first family thanksgiving at our first home. We were so excited! The food was a major hit, and everyone really enjoyed themselves. Our big hit dish that year was my hubs’ butternut squash soup.

  • Deckled Edges
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory Every Christmas we make a buche de noel for Christmas Eve – it doubles as my dad’s birthday cake (he’s a Christmas baby). We’ve used canned frosting for as long as I can remember. That super-sweet chocolate flavor always brings me back to holiday memories.

  • Liz S.
    November 18, 2014

    Pineapple Upside Down Cake brings back family celebration and birthday memories, as far back as my great grandparents. I plan on baking Pineapple Upside Down Cake Blondies for the holiday season. Is it traditional? No. Is it nostalgic and great for family get-togethers? Absolutely. #flavorstory

  • Eva @ Eva Bakes
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory My new holiday tradition seems to be baking a white chocolate cheesecake. Both my family and my in-laws request it every year!

  • Terry Z
    November 18, 2014

    Favorite thing to bake at the holidays is Hungarian kalacs (nut roll). They make great gifts and really are not difficult to make. Plus all that kneading is therapeutic :).

  • Terry Z
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory Favorite holiday treat to bake is Hungarian kalacs (nut roll).

  • Joshua
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory I cannot wait to try this recipe. The danish butter cookies out the tins are my favorite holiday cookies.
    My daughter is finally at an age where she is interested in baking and this year she has already been asking for traditional cut out sugar cookies. We had so much fun last year making batch after batch and decorating them with lots of different colored icing. I look so forward to starting that again this year.

  • Monica
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory I’m a cranberry fan and make Nantucket cranberry pie (it’s really a cake, no?) several times during the season. It’s not normal behavior, considering I live in the Southwest desert.

  • Katie
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory — I have a tradition of eating pumpkin pie for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving, since usually I’m too full on Thanksgiving night to eat a decent sized piece!!

  • Erin
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory I’m making soft gingerbread bars cut into 1 inch squares for snacking on during my family’s Christmas party.

  • Lisa
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory I have too many favorites! I am trying pumpkin spice dinner rolls for the first time this year

  • ladywild
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory My mom gave me 8 bottles of peppermint extract years ago. I had no idea what to do with it. I’m not a huge mint fan. WE sure had fun with recipes though. Mint brownies, peppermint sticks, peppermint fudge, etc. I can’t smell peppermint now without thinking of that fun day.

  • neonmoon10
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory I used to bake cookies with my mom as a kid. I loved peanut butter cookies. The smell and flavor of those cookies was amazing. PB cookies still reminds me of my childhood.

  • sarah
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory Our family makes my mom’s shortbread cookies every year without fail – they’re STILL the best I’ve ever found

  • Jenna Z
    November 18, 2014

    When I think of a story that has to do with flavor, the first one that comes to mind is the year my mom made pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies for halloween. We made sugar cookie cut-outs for just about every holiday so it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. But when we tasted the orange-frosted beauties, we were…..shocked? Or maybe puzzled is a better word. She had accidentally grabbed banana flavoring instead of vanilla for the frosting so our orange pumpkin-shaped cookies tasted inexplicably like banana. We had a good laugh! And sometimes I still get a craving for banana frosting!

  • Katie Rose
    November 18, 2014

    We recently started a family tradition of making gingerbread men. Growing up we only ever baked chocolate chip or oatmeal cookies, but I was always in love with the idea of making huge platters of a variety of cookies to share at the holidays and since having my own home I have slowly been adding to our holiday platter. My kids loved the whole process of the gingerbread men SO much that it is now a staple. Watching my kids and my cousins kids get sticky and smiley as they iced their own person however they pleased was worth the extra effort the gingerbread required. Even if we were ever to drop back to the simple chocolate chip or oatmeal choices from my childhood, we will at the very least be keeping one third option.

  • Jennifer C.
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory My grandmother always makes her famous dinner rolls, which is a long and messy process. As she’s getting older, the kids and grandkids have started to help, so now it’s a family event and a great way to bond while helping my grandma.

  • Jen
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory I make buckeyes with my boys every Christmas. I didn’t even realize we were creating a tradition until they started asking as soon as the first snow fell if it was close enough to Christmas to make them. I hope it’s something they’ll do with their own families some day.

  • Erin
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory – All the way through college, I spent a lot of time with my grandmother around the holidays, helping with the baking. I loved to help her bake Springerlie and Scotch Toffee Bars. We also loved to make rock candy.

  • jane
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory My grandmother taught me how to make cookies, and Thanksgiving and Christmas were naturally her favorite times of year. She also loved turkey, and so did I, but one year I asked her to make split pea soup instead for Thanksgiving, because I loved her split pea soup. I was about 8. She made the soup, slightly annoying everyone else in the family, and we had a turkey later in the month. I wish I could make the soup like she could, but it never tastes quite as good as when she made it.

  • Sandy Headtke
    November 18, 2014

     #flavorstory
    A friend decided to have a cookie baking party at her house. 4 of us all brought our ingredients to each bake 3 types of cookies. What chaos. We now bake at home and bring the baked goods to exchange. But we always talk about “that time….”.

  • Dawn Lloyd
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory. Every year I make welsh cookies at the holidays. I used to make them with my grandma who had a big influence on me cooking & baking. Now that she has passed I make them with my daughter & my neice. My grandma’s recipe was originally from Wales & I’ve updated it a bit by freshly grating my nutmeg. I’ve even been told mine are better than my grandmas which my response always is I couldn’t have done it without my grandma’s teachings & tips. I miss her dearly & cherish my memories of her every time I cook or bake.

  • Stephanie-Oh
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstor My mother and I make an Italian fruited cinnamon roll type pastry called, “Pitcanus”. The pastry dough is flavored with oranges and orange oil. My great grandmother made it at Christmas time in Italy and my grandmother continued this tradition after coming to the States in her youth and now my mother and I continue the tradition. Two years ago my daughter , who lives out of state asked if , on her vs home, she could help us make the pastry. She went home and immediately made a batch to hand out as Christmas gifts to her friends. She has advised me that she is going to do the same this year! I’m so proud of her !

  • Angela
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory-My Uncle Earl was a fire chief in a small New Jersey town and a member of the Lions Club in the laste 60’s. At Thanksgiving, his fire hall would sponsor a turkey dinner fundraiser. The money went towards purchasing Christmas dinners for families in need. The ladies in town cooked for days before hand in the kitchen at the fire hall and the whole community would gather on Thanksgiving for this festive event. I loved going into the large kitchen and helping out when I could. The best memory was seeing all the “McCormick/Schilling” spices used in the stuffing because our name was, you guessed it, Schilling. My uncle, Earl W. Schilling is no longer with us. Thanksgiving is still my favorite holiday.
    -Angela Schilling Kovalchek

  • Tegan
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory Growing up my grandparents all lived 6 hours away, so holidays was the only time I saw them. I have a lot of piecemeal memories of them, but one thing that stands out to me is how whenever my father’s parents would visit they’d bring several containers of cookies my grandfather made. He never followed a written recipe or measured anything, but to this day his pitzels and his chocolate chip cookies are the best I’ve ever had (he passed away 15 years ago). The chocolate chip cookies were a nice chunky staple. The pitzels we only got close to Christmas, and were these beautifully light vanilla cookies that always reminded me of the circular stained glass windows you see in chapels. I loved to create shapes nibbling around the edge of the lines on the cookies. I can’t eat pitzels, I always see them and get so excited, but they never measure up to the incredible cookies my grandfather made.

    My mom’s tradition, especially since I’ve grown up and been living in my own place, is to make buttermilk waffles on Christmas morning. She passed away this summer, so she won’t be able to make them for us, but I think we’ll be picking up that tradition. It’s become such a key part of Christmas for us.

  • Sarah
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory My mom makes all kinds of chocolate confections and candy at Christmas. To me, an essential holiday smell is roasting almonds and melty chocolate. And in addition to carols, the whir of the chocolate tempering machine.

  • Jenny
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory There was one year where I ventured to make Thanksgiving dinner for me and my fiance. We tried making cornish hens and it took so long in the oven and wasn’t even done yet that we had to microwave them but the dinner was so yummy!

  • David
    November 18, 2014

    We used to go to our grandma’s house every Thanksgiving. My mom knows how to cook, but she can’t come close to her mother. No matter what restaurant I go to, or whose house, I can never get the deliciousness of her cooking. Her dressing, her rolls, her sweet potato pie, she nailed all of them. #flavorstory

  • Erin
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory my mom makes awesome gingersnaps every christmas

  • jacquie
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory twice baked potatoes seasoned w/ plenty of thyme as my grandmother used to make and cranberry relish as made by my uncle tom. Those two dear individuals are gone now but the smell of those two dishes brings them back.

  • Nancy
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory When I was early elementary school, my mom used to make Potica (an eastern european sweet yeasted bread that was rolled with a filling of walnuts and cinnamon) around the holiday times to give away to friends/family. I remember my mom and dad would not let us eat a particular batch. It turned out my mom accidentally used salt instead of sugar. Even though I knew it would taste bad, I really wanted to eat it because I wasn’t allowed to have any! I can still remember the tattered magazine page that had the recipe.

  • Ngoc N
    November 18, 2014

    #flavorstory I love all of the beautiful goods that people take time to craft. I picked up a rosette iron at a secondhand shop a few years back and have been tinkering with it every holiday season. The delicate and delicious rosettes are fun to make! I’ve tried several recipes to get different flavors: a lightly sweetened Scandinavian rosette, a coconutty achappam, and a nutty hybrid of the two! Everyone always looks forward to the rosettes this time of year!

  • beccalecca
    November 19, 2014

    #flavorstory My husband’s family loves pie every Thanksgiving and enjoys a tradition of pie for breakfast the following morning. But neither of us had a favorite pie and so we did not continue this tradition. Until last year, when I went on a quest to find pies that would appeal to us. We just needed more chocolate in our pie! Now we can continue this family tradition in our own home.

What do you think?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *