Best Versatile Cookie Dough
Make 5 different cookies from this Best Versatile Cookie Dough.
It is officially baking season or rather the biggest baking week of the year. Christmas is just days away and my plans of baking goodies are well underway. This year I have decided to keep things simple. Rather than making several different and at times, complicated cookies or treats. I have opted to do one dough and to use that dough to make several different cookies. Rather genius I must say.
Of course, I wanted to share this here as I know many of you would appreciate such a time-saving concept. For this recipe, I will be sharing the base dough recipe and then I will go through the variations with you so that you can round up everything you need before you start your baking.
Ingredients For The Dough Base
Flour- I suggest using all-purpose flour for this recipe. It gives the perfect texture to the dough.
Sugar- This recipe calls for white sugar not brown. The white sugar gives the cookie a slight crunch and the perfect amount of sweetness.
Eggs- We will be using one yolk plus one whole large egg. Using the extra yolk helps give the cookie a chewier texture.
Baking Powder- This will help the cookies rise.
Vanilla- The vanilla adds a subtle sweet flavor to the dough that compliments the various flavors we will be making today. Check out my Homemade Vanilla Extract if you would like to learn to make your own.
Salt- Helps bring out the flavors.
Butter- Make sure the butter has come to room temperature otherwise you will have trouble blending it in. You can use salted butter for this recipe but be sure to omit the salt from the recipe if you do!
Tools You Might Need
Directions
In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment add the sugar, egg yolk, egg, vanilla, and room-temperature butter. Cream together until well blended. Then add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Chill the dough for one hour before baking.
Thumbprint Cookies
This is my all-time favorite cookie to make and hands-down the most popular. I make this every single Christmas. You can use any sort of jam you like but I do recommend raspberry jam for it. I have used strawberry, blueberry, apricot, and blackberry. All work perfectly but again, that raspberry is a family favorite.
Here is How to Make Them
Roll the chilled dough into a 1 tbsp-sized ball. Place them on the cookie sheet. Then take your thumb and lightly small down the center to create a small indentation. Don’t go too deep or it will crack the sides of the cookie. Place about a 1/4 tsp of jam in the center. Bake at 350℉ for about 12 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown.
Frosted Sugar Cookies
These are the standard sugar cookie that you cut into shapes and decorate. Simple and delicious. As always the very best cookies to make with the kids.
Heres How To Make Them
After chilling the dough cut hunks of dough off and flour a surface before rolling out. Use cutters to make shapes if you like or you can do a standard circle. Frost and sprinkle with your favorite decorative sprinkles.
Basic Frosting Recipe
I do a basic buttercream frosting by throwing all these ingredients into a mixer with a paddle attachment and then I mix until smooth.
1/2 cup room-temperature butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3-5 tbsp of milk
Confetti Cookies
These are so cute and festive to make. They make the box of cookies so much more colorful and fun.
Heres How To Make Them
Pour confetti-style sprinkles onto a plate. Roll the chilled dough into a 1 tbsp-sized ball. Roll them over the confetti sprinkles. Make sure to completely cover the dough ball. Bake at 350℉ for 12 minutes or right before the cookie begins to brown.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip
These chocolatey cookies are great for all-year-round baking and are always one of the first cookies that we run out of on a cookie platter.
Heres How To Make Them
How much chocolate you will need will depend on how many Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies you are wanting to make. For half a batch, cut the dough in half, and return it to a mixer bowl. Add 1 tbsp of cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.
Mix until just blended. Shape into 1-inch balls, place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350℉ for about 12 minutes. At the 10-minute point, I like to open the oven and smash the cookies slightly with the backside of a measuring cup. The cookies come out perfectly shaped and look bakery worthy.
Note:
Adjust the cocoa powder and chips by either doubling it for a whole batch or halving it for a 1/4 batch of Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies.
Frosted Candy Cane
This cookie is the ultimate Christmas season cookie. Topped with pieces of candy cane and cut into Christmas shapes. Did I mention, they look beautiful on display too?
It is the perfect Christmas cookie and this Best Versatile Cookie Dough makes a ton of them.
Heres How to Make Them
I take several candy canes and place them into a Ziplock bag, then smash them with a rolling pin until they are in tiny pieces. I make up my standard buttercream frosting (above) and add a few drops of peppermint essential oil and about 1/4 cup of the smashed candy canes to the frosting.
You can also add the smashed candy cane to the dough too if you want it extra minty. When adding them to the dough I do about a cup for the entire batch or half a cup for half batch. We like to shape these cookies just the same as we do the standard sugar cookies (above) but you can also just do circles too. Allow the cookies to cool and frost them. Make sure to save a few pieces of the smashed candy canes for sprinkling over the top of the frosting.
Shop This Post
Pin For Later
If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars! Or tag me on Instagram @rox_aquaintlife!
Best Versatile Cookie Dough
a delicious versatile sugar cookie dough
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of room-temperature unsalted butter
- 2 eggs (1 yolk and 1 whole egg)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl combine the sugar, egg yolk, egg, vanilla, and room-temperature butter. Cream until smooth.
- Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the mixer bowl. Blend until the dough forms. The dough will be thick.
- Shape the dough into a piece of parchment paper and chill for 1 hour.
- To bake, shape into a 1 tbsp-sized ball or flour a surface to roll out then shape with cookie cutters. (Or see other variations of cookies from the post.)
- Bake at 350℉ for 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to brown.
Notes
- Use real butter to make these not margarine for the best results
- I use unbleached all-purpose flour
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
30Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 131Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 61mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
Check Out More Reader Favorites
Mini Home Reset | Homemade Pesto
Buttery Pie Crust | 2 Ingredients
Slow Living | Fall Day at Home
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).