What's the difference between a butter cookie and a sugar cookie? Which one is crispy?

S

sandi-in-hawaii

Well-known member
Sorry to say, I don't know the difference between a butter cookie and a sugar cookie. Is the difference a textural thing, or is it a taste thing?

I'm guessing that a butter cookie is like a shortbread, very rich and dense, and a sugar cookie is like a snickerdoodle, soft and chewy.

What kind of recipe should I look for if I prefer crispy, crunchy cookies?

Cookie monsters need to know.

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I don't know the difference either, Sandi!

I think the difference is cultural...whatever you grew up calling them. I have seen recipes for butter cookies that were identical to recipes for sugar cookies. Obviously there are sugar cookies that call for shortening...then I guess it's a sugar cookie and not a butter cookie. ;o) Cookies made with butter are always crispier than cookies made with margarine or shortening, if that helps.

 
I say, same thing. . . but shortbread is different (more)

Thick (so it is soft)with sugar on top: sugar cookie. Thin and crispy, butter cookie (of course you must use real butter for the butter cookie, no?). Both generally have eggs, while true shortbread is nothing but flour, good butter, sugar of some sort an' mebbe a pinch of salt.

Jeeze, true shortbread should be crispy to bite but should melt in your mouth. . . mmmmmm, I need to make some shortbread, and maybe splurge and make it with some Plugra or some butter like that.

 
I think of shortbread as "sandy". In French they are called "sablés".

(That's French for "sandy".) A sugar or butter cookie shouldn't have that sandy texture.

 
to confuse things, i've had butter cookies that aren't shortbready at all, were rather crisp. i've

had sugar cookies both soft and hard.

 
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