These budget friendly cookies use everyday pantry ingredients to make a crisp, crumbly treat without butter. Vegetable oil keeps the dough simple to mix, while a little starch gives the cookies a delicate, shortbread-like texture.

Shape the dough into two logs, add a few fork marks, and cut into small pieces. After a short bake, a light dusting of powdered sugar is all they need.

Budget Friendly Cookies

Yield: About 20 cookies
Bake time: About 15 minutes
Oven temperature: 355°F (180°C)

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons neutral vegetable oil, such as sunflower or canola (100 ml)
• ⅔ cup powdered sugar (80 g), plus a little extra for dusting
• 1 packet vanilla sugar, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (150 g)
• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch (50 g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Sugar option: The recipe also allows granulated sugar in the dough. If using it, substitute 80 g—about ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon—for the powdered sugar. Measure the substitute by weight if possible; the two sugars do not have the same volume.

How to Make Budget Friendly Cookies

1. Prepare the oven. Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk the egg, vegetable oil, and powdered sugar until smooth. If using vanilla extract, whisk it in.
3. Combine the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. If using vanilla sugar, add it to this mixture.
4. Make the dough. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions. Mix until a soft, pliable dough forms. It should hold its shape without feeling sticky. Avoid overworking it.
5. Shape the logs. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll each portion into a log about 12 inches (30 cm) long, then flatten slightly.
6. Add the fork marks. Gently press or draw the tines of a fork along the tops to create shallow decorative grooves. This step is optional.
7. Cut the cookies. Cut the logs into pieces about 1 inch (2–3 cm) wide. For approximately 20 cookies, cut each log into 10 pieces. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet with a little space between them.
8. Bake. Bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Check toward the end of baking so the small cookies do not overbrown.
9. Cool and dust. Let the cookies cool, then dust lightly with extra powdered sugar before serving.

Tips for This Recipe

• Choose a neutral-tasting oil so the vanilla flavor comes through.
• Keep the pieces similar in size so they bake evenly.
• Use a light touch with the fork: shallow grooves give the cookies their simple decorative finish.
• Let the cookies cool before dusting them so the powdered sugar stays visible.

Serving and Storage

Serve with tea or coffee. Once completely cool, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.