Egyptian butter cookies, petit fours or as we like to pronounce betefour, are one of those holiday cookies that everyone loves. These holiday classics are made even better and festive dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with nuts.
These butter cookies are kid and adult friendly. Usually enjoyed during holidays in Egypt with other holiday classics such as Kahk and Lancashire.
Baking such cookies is always associated with happy memories and gatherings during those festive days. Bake them with kids for a lifetime memories that they will never forget. Perfect for gifting too.
This post has been updated from the original July 2016 . Last updated December 2018.
Butter Cookies
What is better than butter cookie? Chocolate stuffed and dipped butter cookie goodness. These butter cookies recipe is for the butter lover in you. They are rich, melt in your mouth kind of cookies stuffed with sweet jam or chocolate and dipped in chocolate. Seriously, who can say no to these?!
Petit Fours can be enjoyed plain, glued with jam, or covered with some chocolate and nuts. My older betefour recipe used a great amount of ghee, which I really liked and it reminded me so much of the betefour I used to have back in Egypt when I was a little girl.
But this time I've used butter instead of ghee as it is easier to find, and reduced the amount by 50% . The result was more crisp and more manageable especially if you are a new cookie baker.
Butter cookies ingredients
Here is what you'll need:
- Butter, of course.
- Confectioner's (powdered) sugar.
- Eggs, whole.
- Vanilla extract.
- All purpose flour.
- Baking powder.
- Cocoa powder, if you are making the chocolate ones.
- Jam, chocolate, sprinkles or nuts for decoration.
How to make Egyptian butter cookies step by step:
This recipe is rated easy specially with these step by step instructions, we have made them several times with kids and they always enjoy using the cookie press to play with the shapes. Gluing them with jam, dipping in chocolate and nuts ) or go festive with sprinkles) is another story. It is a good recipe to bond over with little ones during these happy time. So here is a step by step guide to make those butter cookies.
- Unsalted butter needs to be room temperature. Add powdered sugar and beat until white and fluffy.
- Add two whole eggs (room temperature as well) and vanilla extract then mix them in well.
- Now in a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder.
- Add both mixtures and mix with a spatula. Divide the dough into two bowls one for vanilla and one for chocolate.
- Add cocoa powder to one of the bowl and mix well.
- Feel free to add more cocoa powder if you want it darker.
- Shape the dough using cookie press or you can form small balls and press them lightly or make marks with a fork. Bake in a preheated oven until edges start to brown.
- If you want to consume these cookies as is or make them better by gluing them with any jam you like ( preferably apricot jam).
- Dip in chocolate sauce then dip again in sprinkles or crushed nut.
Butter Cookies FAQs:
Are butter cookies the same as shortbread?
Butter cookies are very similar to shortbread but butter cookies contain more sugar than shortbread. Also shortbread aficionados ALWAYS bake them in a lower heat to keep their color.
Do I have to use a cookies press?
Not at all. You can actually pipe the dough through a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. You can also form dough into log(s), wrap in waxed paper then refrigerate until firm enough to slice and bake.
Can I freeze these cookies?
These cookies freeze very well for up to 2 months. Even better freeze them as dough logs wrapped tightly for up to 4 months.
You may need:
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This is a high quality cookie press, with metal parts!! which is really very rare these day. I've owned several plastic ones which didn't last very long, they usually crack and do not hold against a thick cookie dough.
Related Recipes
- Maamoul is a traditional Middle Eastern cookie made usually filled with date. It has a soft texture and a delicate flavor.
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Egyptian butter cookies (Petit fours)
Traditional holiday cookies that are rich, stuffed with jam and dipped in chocolate. Sprinkle some nuts on the top and they will be irresistible.
Egyptian butter cookies ( Petit Fours / Betefour )
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220g) room temperature butter.
- 1 cup (100g) confectioners' (powdered)sugar.
- 2 eggs. room temperature.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cup (320g)of flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder.
- 2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder- or more as you desire.
Optional
- Jam chocolate and nuts.
Instructions
- Cream the butter and the sugar until you get a nice white creamy mixture. Add the eggs and the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, add baking powder and flour then mising very well with a fork.
- Add flour to egg mixture until you have a nice, soft dough.
- Divide your dough in two adding cocoa powder to one half.
- In a prepared cookie sheet form your dough into a small balls – half the size of a ping pong ball- press it lightly against your cookie sheet with a fork to form marks on top of it, or if you have a cookie press use it to make the shapes that you like.
- Bake for 12– 15 minutes in a 325F preheated oven or until the edges are golden brown.
- On a cooling rack let your cookies cool before decorating.
- You can leave them plain or glue each two together with some jam, you can also dip in any sort of chocolate then into some crushed nuts.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Nutrition
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Ahmed
Made these for Eid, they were a hit! People asked for the recipe and no one said anything about the lack of ghee lol .
Which means! I can make these for all kinds of occasions, as I have to make ghee from butter where I am at, and that step is...bothersome.
I piped them to make shapes, but I am not going to lie it does not pipe easy, it was exhausting..will try to invest into getting a cookie press, cause these are so easy to make, festive and fun to decorate.
Anyways thanks!
Amira
Thank you so much and Eid Mubarak. Glad you liked them.
Jasmine
Can I please get the old recipie with the ghee
Amira
Here it is Jasmine https://amiraspantry.com/egyptian-eid-cookies-betefour/
Fatima
Assalamu alaykum Amira,
Can you email me the Ghee version of this recipe please?
Thank you!
Fatima
Amira
Will do Fatima, thank you for your interest in this recipe.
Najat
I tried this recipe (but made enough for 4 batches, so I quadrupled the recipe), but for some reason after baking a few cookies as a test run, the cookies came out kind of soft & chewy (and the outside feels bready like a scone), almost spongy, not crispy at all like they’re supposed to be, and I can’t figure out what went wrong…? Please help! I have a lot of dough left that would be a waste to throw out after all that work, but I don’t know how to fix it.
Amira
Hi Najat! I’m happy to help. Sorry this happened to you. Usually soft cookies are due to under baking, so either the oven temperature is not right or the cookies need more time in the oven. My other suggestion is, because you quadrupled the recipe the baking powder was too much. Baking powder and baking soda are tricky when doubling a recipe and don’t always scale up as nicely as everything else. I would say before you throw it away, try to take a batch and add a bit more flour bake and check if this will work. I hope this fixes the issue for you.
Mariam
Is the dough too soft to roll out, refrigerate and cut with regular cookie cutters?
Rasa
Amira,
Can I also get your Ghee recipe? I tried clicking on the link but it takes me to the new one. I attached my email to the form.
Thank you!!!
Amira
Thanks Rosa for your interest, will send you the recipe soon.
Jurga
Salaam Amira,
Would you please share the "old recipe" with the ghee?
Thank you
Amira
Salam Jurga, I need to revisit this recipe before letting it go to the public again. Would you like me to email it to you?
Teresa Peeples
You mention vanilla in the directions but I didn't see it listed in the ingredients. How much vanilla?
Thanks
Amira
Hmm this is weird, it was right there. Thanks for spotting that, you add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Jamie
So delicious. I made them by using star tip and piping them out. It was pretty difficult to get the cookies out until the dough had warmed on top of the heating oven. Next time ai will buy a cookie press. Maybe that's easier? Thank you so much for such a wonderful recipe! Everyone who tried them loved them.
Amira
Thank you so much Jamie for trying these out. I am happy you liked them.
Maddie
Hi Amira,
Ramadan Mubarak!
Please email me the ghee petit four recipe.
Thanks
Amira
Maddie, thank you for your interest. Will email you the recipe now.
Marina
I absolutely love betefour! What’s your measurements for using ghee? I love the softer texture than using butter! I tried clicking on your “old recipe” as described in the intro but it’s not taking me to the original recipe.
Thank you!!
Amira
Marina, if I allow me I can send you the old recipe via email but I have to tell you it needs some skills to manage.
Marina
Yes!!! You can email me! marinafaragalla@yahoo.com— my grandmother from egypt would make these with ghee and I would always help her in the kitchen. Unfortunately she passed away before I was able to ask for her recipe
Rasha
Amira,
I wanted to thank you. This has been my go to recipe for the past year or so. Thank you for sharing your love of food. I would love if you could share the recipe with Ghee.
With gratitude
Amira
Thank you Rasha for your sweet comment. I will email you the recipe.
Noor
Hello I’d like the old ghee version as well, Please. Love the recipe btw.
Amira
Will send it your way Noor.
Maryann Zaki
This was wonderful and easy! Ty!
Amira
Thank you Maryann.
Janet
Lost my recipe from years ago. Will try this one. How much vanilla do you add? It's not in the recipe. Thanks.
Riri
How can we find the old recipe with ghee? Is it less or more ghee or even substitution of butter to ghee? Thank you
Amira
I do not recommend the recipe with ghee as many said it is hard to master and needs some experience.
Tara
AssalamuAlaikum Amira - I was wondering if this type of cookie can also be made with Smeed/Fine Semolina? Thank you for your help iA!
Amira
Tara, to be honest, I haven't tried that before. I bet the texture would change drastically.
Randa
These looks great, thanks! I’m looking for the chocolate sauce recipe, am I missing it?
Amira
Randa, thank you for your interest in the recipe. The chocolate sauce is melted chocolate with vegetable oil, if you need a detailed instructions please check out this post. Thanks
Lara
I just made these to surprise my mum and she loved them! First time I've ever made any type of butter cookie and they were perfect! Shookran!!!
Amira
Lara, thank you so much fpr youe feedback, I am super excited that your mom liked them.
Mandi Abboud
Hi Amira are you able to email me your old recipe with the samna? I made them many years ago and they were amazing and I would like to make them again.
Thank you
Amira
Mandi, sure thing. I will send it right away. I hope you can email me a picture 🙂 I am happy that someone else loves them too.
Anca
Hi, Salam, I’d love the recipe with samna please as well... my email is: ancahronis@gmail.com
Amira
I just did.. let me know what do you think.
Alia Fahmy
Hi,
I would like to get the recipe with the samna as well, is it 2 cups of semna instead of 1 cup of butter?
Amira
Hello Alia, just sent you the recipe as well.
Nidhi
Can you please share the recipe with me as well.
Amira
Will send it to you Nidhi.
Lauren
I too would like the recipe with the semna. My brother in law has been requesting petit four since he moved to the states. I'm hoping I can surprise him this holiday season and I'm sure my father would love some too!
mariam habib
Amira thank you for all your beautiful recipes! Do you still have the old betefour recipe, made with ghee/samna? If you’re willing to share it,, I would love it so much!
Amira
Mariam, I still have the recipe with ghee, can I email it to you?
mariam habib
thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes amira! when i click the link to the older betefour recipe (using samna), i get this same page. do you have the old recipe somewhere as well? i want to try both! 🙂
Amira
Mariam, thank you for your sweet comment. Actually, I took the other recipe down as it is hard to master and many of my friends said it was harder to work with than this one.
Esra
I love this recipe! How much vanilla should be added? I added 1 tsp and it turned out really well.
Amira
Esraa this is awecome! Thank you for your feedback I am happy you loved it.
Almah
I’ve been looking for such a recipe quite some time and the moment I saw it on your IG I knew that this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. So yummy I’m baking them right now.
Thank you for such a great recipe
Amira
I’m so glad you love them Almah! Thanks for the feedback.
Mariam
I made this today and it also came out really liquify and so flat.
Amira
Mariam, thank you for the feedback. This is really weird !! Can you please check my IG highlights?
Riki
I tried making the recipe but it was too liquidy, had to use piping bag and it was a fail. Tastes great, looks disappointing 🙁
Amira
Riki, this is strange!! this is one of my no fail recipes... I honestly do not know what went wrong in your case for the batter to be liquidy?. My guess is the measuring of ingredients. I have updates the recipe with grams to make it easier and more accurate. I have also re-done the recipe and uploaded it on my instagram for you to check. I will keep it in the highlights under petit fours for you to see. Thank you for trying the recipe.Oh and by the way there is nothing wrong in piping them, actually many people do that and do not use the cookie press.
Marie B
These lok yummy. I will have to try and make them. I usually buy them when we go to Dearborn Michigan, but now I canmake them myself...marie from canada
Amira
Marie, these are loved by kids and adults as well. I hope you'll like them, let me know if you have any questions.
Khadija
I have tried ur butter cookies today n they turned out great... Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe
Amira
I’m so glad you liked them Khadija!!Thanks for the feedback.
Pamela Randall
I've used strawberry jam with vanilla cookies and apricot for the chocolate. Everyone loved them.
Amira
Pamela, Thank you for trying this recipe it is one of our favorite. Using strawberry jam with vanilla seems very tasty.
ASamad
How many days in advance can you make them?
Amira
ASamad, I would treat betefour like shortbread or butter cookies, meaning, you can make them 2-3 days ahead (I would even go bold and say a week) and they keep up for a relatively long time, say 2 months. I usually make mine, bake then store some in an airtight container and freeze the rest in a ziplock. Just make sure to let them cool completely and store in airtight shallow containers. Thank you for being interested in the recipe, I hope this will help.
Elizabeth A
I am excited to try these cookies so my family can enjoy them in ramadan this year. Thank you for this.
Amira
Elizabeth, My kids enjoy these cookies a lot. We love the chocolate ones more. I hope you'll like them as much as we do. Please do come back and tell me how it went.
Sarah
They look so good, masha'Allah! I will be making them for Eid Insha'Allah but what flavor is the jam you are using?
Thank you for a very nice and easy to follow video!!! <3
Amira
Eid Mubarak Inshaa Allah, Jazakom Allah Khairan Sara for your sweet words. I've used apricot jam it is the most common one to use, but of course any flavor that you like will be ok.
John/Kitchen Riffs
Great looking cookies! Great way to celebrate Eid, or anything. Hope this years festivities are wonderful for you!
Amira
Thanks John for your sweet wishes.
Joanne T Ferguson
Your Eid cookies look delicious Amira and I'd love to try them all!
Amira
Thanks Joanne, I hope you'll try them soon and tell me.
Evelyne CulturEatz
Loving all the cookies, and I would agree more butter for me too! These look vry good, I may have tried them before. Have agreat rest of week.
Amira
Thank Eve, they are pretty easy to make, I hope you'll have the chance to make them soon.