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!
Preheat the oven to 375˚F. 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˚F 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.
Video
Notes
You substitute premade sugar cookie dough instead of making your own to make things even easier!