Ultimate Holiday Cookie Recipe: 12 Rich, Delicious Christmas Cookies From One Buttery Dough

Copywriters’ Kitchen is busy and crowded this time of year. All children are home for the holidays, including The Daughter who jetted in after her first semester at college on the west coast. So in addition to writing copy, I’m trimming the tree, wrapping presents, running to parties—and doing a lot more cooking and baking than usual.

Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without Classic Cheese Log, mince pies—recipe to come—and, of course, an array of Christmas cookies.



If only I had a few house elves to help with the labor…

Short on time—but still want dozens of different Christmas cookies?

That’s why I love this Ultimate Holiday Cookie Recipe: 12 Rich, Delicious Christmas Cookies From One Buttery Dough. The 12-in-1 recipe gives you indulgent homemade cookies—but still manages to keep Copywriter’s Kitchen’s ethos of fast scratch cooking for busy people.

Your family and guests will think you labored all day chopping, mixing and heaving cookie sheets in and out of a hot oven to make these cookies.

But you’ll know the truth.

One cookie dough + 12 mix-ins

It takes about five minutes to put together this recipe’s basic dough and another hour to add all twelve mix-in ingredients. You roll the dough into logs and chill them in the refrigerator. Then you slice, shape and bake.

The recipe yields 24 dozen cookies. You read that right: 24 times 12. So you’ll have plenty of cookies for gifts and get-togethers and more leftover for family munching.

Kept in the fridge, the dough lasts for weeks. The handy slice-and-bake logs make it easy to whip up a fresh batch of warm cookies on the spur of the moment. You can bake all 24 dozen at once—or just two for yourself.

The 12-in-1 cookie concept originally came from a—sadly now lost—1980s bake-off booklet. I think the recipe made 6 different cookies. My Ultimate Holiday Cookie Recipe produces the following dozen buttery cookies:

1. Double Chocolate Bites
2. Chocolate Walnut Cookies
3. Peanut Butter Crisscrosses
4. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
5. Pecan Orange Shorties
6. Demerara Sugar Cookies
7. Cardamom Shortbread
8. Chocolate Chip Cookies
9. Ginger Snaps
10. Arabian Crunch
11. Apricot Thumbprints
12. Almond Snowballs

You’ll be tempted to try each one. Oh, go ahead. The cookies are tiny, so you can sample with minimal guilt.

Ultimate Holiday Cookie Recipe: 12 Rich, Delicious Christmas Cookies From One Buttery Cookie Dough

Basis dough:
4 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 Demerara or brown sugar
6 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 tablepoons half and half or whole milk
10 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, blend butter and sugars with an electric mixer.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Mix in vanilla and half or milk.
4. Add salt then flour, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition. This makes a very soft dough.
5. Divide the dough into 12 even portions of about one cup each. I say “about” because, while this recipe should yield at least 12 cups of dough, for some reason or other, it doesn’t. So measure one cup minus a tablespoon or so for each portion to make 12 even portions.
6. Take 2 cups of the dough and add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, mixing well to blend the dry chocolate into the buttery dough.

Now you have:

• 2 cups of Basic Chocolate Dough
• 10 cups of Basic Vanilla Dough

Mix-ins
To the doughs you will add the following ingredients, as delineated in recipes below:

• One chocolate bar, cut into 1/2″ chunks
• 1/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup raisins, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
• 1/3 cup pecan, finely chopped
• 1 cup Demerara or raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee
• 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup ground blanched almonds or almond flour

Let the baking begin!

Double Chocolate Bites

Double Chocolate Bites Recipe
Basic Chocolate Dough, see recipe above
One chocolate bar cut into 1/2” chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Divide the Basic Chocolate Dough into two half-cup portions.
3. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
4. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
5. In the meantime, cut twelve 1/2” squares of chocolate from a large chocolate bar. I like Trader Joes’ huge, 1 1/2 pound Swiss Milk Chocolate bar, but you may use any kind of chocolate bar you like.
6. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
7. Roll each portion of chocolate dough into a ball. Place balls one inch apart on a cookie sheet. If dough has softened, place cookie sheet in fridge or freezer for a few minutes until dough firms.
8. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
9. Remove cookies from oven. While still hot, carefully press a chocolate chunk into each cookie. Let cookies cool slightly on sheet for a minute or two.
10. Gently move cookies to cooling racks—the chocolate will be very soft and will not firm completely for several hours.

Yield: Two dozen Double Chocolate Bites

Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Chocolate Walnut Cookies Recipe
1 cup Basic Chocolate Dough, see recipe above
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl or on a cutting board, blend walnuts into chocolate cookie dough.
3. Divide dough into two even portions.
4. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
5. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
6. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
7. Roll each portion of chocolate dough into a ball. Place balls one inch apart on cookie sheet. Using a spatula, your fingers or the heel of your hand, gently flatten each cookie ball.
8. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
9. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Chocolate Walnut Cookies
Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

Peanut Butter Crisscross Recipe
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
4 tablepoons smooth peanut butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, blend peanut butter into Basic Vanilla Dough.
3. If dough is too soft to handle easily, stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. Remove and divide dough into two even portions.
4. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
5. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
6. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
7. Roll each portion of peanut butter dough into a ball and place the balls one inch apart on a cookie sheet. If dough has softened, slide cookie sheet into fridge to chill dough until firm.
8. Remove cookie sheet from fridge. With a fork, flatten cookies, making a crisscross pattern.
9. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
10. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Peanut Butter Crisscrosses

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Chop raisins.
3. In a medium bowl, blend raisins, oats and nutmeg into Basic Vanilla Dough.
4. Divide dough into two even portions.
5. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
6. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
7. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
8. Roll each portion of oatmeal raisin dough into a ball and place the balls one inch apart on a cookie sheet. Using a spatula, your fingers or the heel of your hand, gently flatten each cookie ball.
9. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes
10. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Pecan Orange Shorties

Pecan Orange Shorties Recipe
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon orange extract (optional)
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. In a medium bowl, blend Basic Vanilla Dough, orange zest, orange extract (optional) and pecans.
2. Divide dough into two even portions.
3. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
4. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
5. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
6. Roll each portion of dough into a ball and place the balls one inch apart on a cookie sheet. If dough has softened, slide cookie sheet into fridge to chill dough until firm.
7. Remove cookie sheet from fridge. With a fork, flatten cookies, letting fork tines make a row of stripes.
8. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
9. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Orange Pecan Shorties

Demerara Sugar Cookies

Demerara Sugar Cookies
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
1/2 cup Demerara or raw sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Divide the Basic Vanilla Dough into two even portions.
3. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
4. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
5. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
6. Roll each portion of dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the Demerara sugar, pressing the sides into the sugar to coat thickly. Place each sugared ball one inch apart on cookie sheet. Slide cookie sheet into fridge to chill dough until firm.
7. Remove cookie sheet form fridge. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
8. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Demerara Sugar Cookies

Cardamom Shortbread

Cardamom Shortbread Recipe
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
1/2 teaspoon cardamom, freshly ground if possible

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. If using fresh cardamom, gently pound the green cardamon seeds with a mortar and pestle to release the spice’s black seeds. Grind the seeds until fine.
3. In a medium bowl, blend cardamom and Basic Vanilla Dough.
4. Divide dough into two even portions.
5. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
6. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
7. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
8. Roll each portion of dough into a ball and place the balls one inch apart on a cookie sheet. If dough has softened, slide cookie sheet into fridge to chill dough until firm.
9. Remove cookie sheet from fridge and slide into oven. Bake 7-8 minutes.
10. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Cardamom Shortbread Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, blend chocolate chips into Basic Vanilla Dough.
3. Divide dough into two even portions.
4. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
5. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
6. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
7. Roll each portion of dough into a ball. Place balls one inch apart on cookie sheet. Using a spatula, your fingers or the heel of your hand, gently flatten each cookie ball.
8. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
9. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps Recipe
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup Demerara sugar or raw sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, blend Basic Vanilla Dough with molasses, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and cloves.
3. Divide dough into two even portions.
4. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
5. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
6. In the meantime, mix Demerara sugar and remaining one teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.
7. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
8. Roll each portion of dough into a ball. Roll the ball in the bowl of cinnamon-Demerara sugar, pressing the sides into the sugar to coat thickly. Place each sugared ball one inch apart on cookie sheet. Slide cookie sheet into fridge to chill dough until firm.
9. Remove cookie sheet from fridge. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
10. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Ginger Snaps

Arabian Crunch

An historical note on the following cookie: Certain foods have magical power to hurdle us back in time. For me, Arabian Crunch is one of these foods. Just one bite of this espresso-chocolate-almond bar—from my mother’s recipe, clipped from Sunset Magazine—and I’m transported back to Christmas in Northern California, circa 1976.

Mom’s wearing sable eye liner and a paisley caftan. The spicy scent of mulled wine wafts from a brown, crackle-glazed Crockpot. The Messiah or A Partridge Family Christmas plays on the phonograph. And my sister, brother and I stuff ourselves with Arabian Crunch.

Arabian Crunch Recipe
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cups thinly sliced almonds

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, blend Basic Vanilla Dough with chocolate chips, instant coffee and almond extract.
3. Divide dough into two even portions.
4. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
5. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
6. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Press each log to flatten into a rectangle, using a large knife or spatula to straighten the dough’s sides and square its corners.
7. Press sliced almonds into the dough.
8. With a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts across the dough to create trianglar-shaped cookies, see photo above.
9. With a spatula, transfer triangles to a cookie sheet, placing them one inch apart on the sheet. Slide cookie sheet into fridge to chill dough until firm.
10. Remove cookie sheet from fridge. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
11. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Arabian Crunch Cookies


Apricot Thumbprints






Apricot Thumbprints
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
2 tablespoons jam
Blanched almond slivers

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Divide Basic Vanilla Dough into two even portions.
3. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
4. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
5. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
6. Roll each portion of dough into a ball and place the balls one inch apart on a cookie sheet. Slide cookie sheet into fridge to chill dough until firm.
7. Remove cookie sheet form fridge. With your thumb—or pointer finger—create a little well in the top of each ball of chilled cookie dough, see photo above.
8. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
9. Remove cookies from oven. Working quickly, use the end of a wooden spoon—or your fingers, if they’re made of asbestos as mine are—to deepen the little well in the center of each cookie. Push two slivers of almond upright into the side of each well, see photo above.
10. Remove cookies to racks to cool. When completely cool, spoon a dot of apricot jam into each well—a demitasse spoon works nicely for this job.

Yield: Two dozen Apricot Thumbprints.


Almond Snowballs





Almond Snowball Cookies Recipe
1 cup Basic Vanilla Dough, see recipe above
2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup ground almonds
1 teaspoon almond extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In the meantime, grind the almonds finely in a blender or mini processor. Or don’t: I buy ground almond meal from Trader Joe’s.
3. Sift or sieve the powdered sugar to remove lumps.
4. In a medium bowl, blend Basic Vanilla Dough with 1/3 cup powdered sugar, ground almonds and almond extract.
5. Divide the Basic Vanilla Dough into two even portions.
6. On a sheet of wax paper, shape one portion of dough into a long, thin log. Roll the log until it’s stretched to an even 12” log.
7. Roll up the log in the wax paper and twist each end of the paper to seal the log. Repeat with second log. Place both logs in refrigerator to chill.
8. When dough is firm, remove from fridge and unwrap. Use a ruler to measure and cut dough into twelve 1” portions.
9. Roll each portion of dough into a ball. Place balls one inch apart on cookie sheet. Slide cookie sheet into fridge to chill dough until firm.
10. Remove cookie sheet from fridge. Slide cookie sheet into oven and bake 7-8 minutes.
11. Remove cookies from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for a minute or two.
12. Pour remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar into a small bowl or custard cup. While cookies are still warm, press them in the powdered sugar to coat generously. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Yield: Two dozen Almond Snowballs