Kitchen hack for holiday baking: make four Christmas cookies from one basic dough with this recipe. Prepare the dough ahead of time, freeze and bake later!
Can you believe that it’s almost November and the holidays will be here before we know it! Everyone knows that one of the best things about the holiday season is all of the homemade goodies. We love baking and we love sharing, but then we run into time crunches.
Between working, shopping, parties and time with family and friends, it’s now always easy to make something homemade. So, today I am excited to share a kitchen hack just in time for holiday baking.
You can use this recipe to make four kinds of Christmas cookies from one basic dough. And the best part is that you prepare the dough ahead of time, freeze the dough and it is ready to bake whenever you want it.
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Four Christmas Cookies From One Basic Dough Recipe
Step One:
Make the basic sugar cookie dough.
In a large stand mixer, combine butter and shortening. Cream in the sugars until light in color and fluffier in texture about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed sugars.
Step Two:
Separate the dough into four bowls, about two cups in each bowl. Add the extra ingredients to each separate bowl following the instructions below.
Step Three:
Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Place in freezer for a couple of hours, until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in freezer until ready to use.
Step Four:
Remove cookie dough balls from freezer. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
Frosted Sugar Cookies
Step One:
For the first of the four Christmas cookies from one basic dough, start with 1/4 of the basic sugar cookie dough which is about two cups.
Step Two:
Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough, roll into balls and coat in granulated sugar.
Place sugar cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours, until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in freezer until ready to use.
Step Three:
Remove cookie dough balls from freezer. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
Step Four:
Cool and decorate with green buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
Double Chocolate Cookies
Step One:
For the second of the four Christmas cookies from one basic dough, start with 1/4 of the basic sugar cookie dough which is about two cups.
Step Two:
Mix melted and cooled chocolate and the semi-sweet chocolate chips into the basic sugar cookie dough.
Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Place double chocolate cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours, until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in freezer until ready to use.
Step Three:
Remove cookie dough balls from freezer. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
Step Four:
Cool and drizzle with melted chocolate chips.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies
Step One:
For the third of the four Christmas cookies from one basic dough, start with 1/4 of the basic sugar cookie dough which is about two cups.
Step Two:
Mix white chocolate chips and dried cranberries into the basic sugar cookie dough.
Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Place white chocolate cranberry cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours, until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in freezer until ready to use.
Step Three:
Remove cookie dough balls from freezer. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
Peppermint Sugar Cookies
Step One:
For the fourth of the four Christmas cookies from one basic dough, start with 1/4 of the basic sugar cookie dough which is about two cups.
Step Two:
Mix crushed candy canes and flour into the basic sugar cookie dough. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring, if desired.
Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough. Place peppermint sugar cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours, until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in freezer until ready to use.
Step Three:
Remove cookie dough balls from freezer. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes.
Step Four:
Cool and decorate with peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes.
Four Christmas Cookies From One Basic Dough FAQs
1. How do you make evenly sized cookies?
Use a one tablespoon-sized dough scoop to make this step easier and to make the dough balls the same size so that they will bake evenly and look better on a tray.
2. What if I don’t have a cookie dough scoops? Use rounded tablespoons of dough instead.
3. Any baking tips you can share? Cover the baking sheets with parchment paper so that cookies will easily slide off and to make clean-up a little easier!
4. Does the cookie dough HAVE to be frozen first or can I bake the cookies right away? You can bake the cookies right away!
5. Can I bake the cookies right from the freezer? Yes, the cookie dough is baked directly from the freezer without thawing them first.
6. Would the cookies still be good if I skipped the frosting? Yes! If you are short on time, you can skip the frosting and sprinkles on the cookies.
Want More Cookie Recipes? Try One of These Next:
These Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups made with sugar cookie dough are filled with hot chocolate ganache, have a pretzel handle and mini marshmallows on top!
Turtle Cookies are Ritz crackers filled with creamy caramel, coated in chocolate and topped with chopped pecans!
Classic Pecan Snowball Cookies from Life Made Sweeter are the perfect treat for your holiday cookie platter. Best of all, these popular favorites come together so easy.
Christmas Tree Cookies from I Am Baker are an adorable stack of sugar cookies with green frosting to make a tree!
This Christmas cookie recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Stuffed Cookies, stuffed with peppermint patties, are sure to become a holiday favorite.
Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies are chewy, gooey and slightly crisp on the outside. This easy recipe results in flatter cookies that taste amazing!
Four Christmas Cookies From One Basic Dough
Kitchen hack for holiday baking: make four Christmas cookies from one basic dough with this recipe. Prepare the dough ahead of time, freeze and bake later!
Ingredients
Basic Sugar Cookie Dough:
- 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
- 2/3 cups shortening
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 4 tsp vanilla
- 4 3/4 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Sugar Cookies:
- 2 cups basic sugar cookie dough
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups green buttercream frosting
- 2 tbsp sprinkles
Chocolate Cookies:
- 2 cups basic sugar cookie dough
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted for drizzle, optional
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:
- 2 cups basic sugar cookie dough
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Peppermint Sugar Cookies:
- 2 cups basic sugar cookie dough
- 4 tbsp crushed candy canes
- 2 tbsp flour
- red food coloring, optional
- 2 cups peppermint buttercream frosting, optional
- 2 tbsp crushed candy canes, optional
Instructions
Basic Sugar Cookie Dough:
- In a large stand mixer, combine butter and shortening.
- Cream in the sugars until light in color and fluffier in texture about 2-3 minutes.
- Mix in the eggs and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
- Stir the flour mixture into the creamed sugars.
- Separate the dough into four bowls, about two cups in each bowl.
- Add the extra ingredients to each separate bowl following the instructions below.
- Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough.
- If making ahead of time, place the cookie dough balls in the freezer for a couple of hours, until firm, and then put into freezer bags or containers. Store in freezer until ready to use.
- If ready to bake immediately, skip placing the cookie dough balls in the freezer and bake right away. Since this recipe makes a large number of cookies, store the additional cookie dough in the fridge until ready to use.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 9-11 minutes (fresh dough or frozen).
Sugar Cookies:
- Scoop tablespoon sized balls of cookie dough, roll into balls and coat in granulated sugar.
- Cool and decorate with green buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
Chocolate Cookies:
- Mix the melted and cooled chocolate and the semi-sweet chocolate chips into the basic sugar cookie dough.
- Cool and drizzle with melted chocolate chips.
White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:
- Mix the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries into the basic sugar cookie dough.
Peppermint Sugar Cookies:
- Mix the crushed candy canes and flour into the basic sugar cookie dough. Add a couple of drops of red food coloring, if desired.
- Cool and decorate with peppermint buttercream and crushed candy canes.
Notes
You substitute premade sugar cookie dough instead of making your own to make things even easier!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 120 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Melissa Stone says
How do I adjust the basic recipe for baking at a high altitude?
Tonia says
Hi Melissa,
I’m sorry but I don’t have any experience with baking at high altitudes.
~Tonia