One Dough Christmas Cookies: Five Different Kinds Made From a Single Butter Dough

One dough Christmas cookies save you hours: you mix a single tender butter dough and turn it into five different cookies just by changing the filling and decoration.

The base is a well-chilled butter dough that does not stick and holds its shape. Split it into five portions and combine chocolate, nuts and jam to get an elegant mixed cookie platter. These cookies melt on the tongue, and one batch makes about 60.

At a Glance

• Prep time: 20 min
• Baking time: 10 min per tray
• Chilling: 30 minutes
• Servings: about 60 cookies
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trend: Cookie platter / cookie exchange

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Put the flour in a bowl and add the butter, granulated sugar, vanilla and the whole egg.
2. Work everything by hand or with a mixer into a uniform, non-sticky dough.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
4. Divide the chilled dough into 5 equal parts.
5. Cookie 1, chocolate sandwich cookies: Roll out the first portion thinly and cut out rounds with a round cutter. Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes. When cool, spread chocolate-hazelnut spread on half of the rounds, top with the other half and dip each cookie halfway into melted chocolate.
6. Cookie 2, walnut cookies: Cut solid rounds from the second portion and bake them at 350°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes. When cool, dip the top of each in melted chocolate and gently press half a walnut into the center.
7. Cookie 3, Linzer-style cookies: From the third portion cut half solid rounds and half rounds with a hole in the center. Bake them at 350°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes. Dust the cookies with holes with powdered sugar, spread jam on the solid rounds and sandwich them together.
8. Cookie 4, jam thumbprints: Roll the fourth portion into a long log and cut it into even pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, flatten it with your palm and press a heart-shaped dent into it with the back of a spoon. Fill the dent with jam and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes.
9. Cookie 5, iced cutouts: Cut any shapes you like from the last portion and bake them at 350°F (180°C) for about 10 minutes. When cool, brush them with the icing (stir 30 g powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water) and top with colored sprinkles.

Video Recipe

Tips for Perfect One Dough Christmas Cookies

• Chill first. A well-chilled dough does not stick and holds its shape, so do not skip the 30 minutes.
• Cool before filling. Let every cookie cool completely before spreading, dipping or icing it.
• Keep portions equal. Five equal parts give you about a dozen cookies of each type and a balanced platter.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• How do I store the baked cookies so they stay tender? Keep the baked, decorated cookies in an airtight tin in a cool, dry place. They stay fresh for 2 to 3 weeks.
• Can I make the dough ahead of time? Yes. Wrapped in plastic wrap, the dough can rest in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days before baking.
• Can I freeze the dough? Butter doughs like this one generally freeze well; wrap it tightly, freeze, and thaw it in the refrigerator before rolling.
• Can I use other fillings? Yes. Any thick jam, nut spread or melted chocolate works; the fillings are listed to taste.
• Are these cookies good for a cookie exchange or gifts? Yes. Making five different cookies from one batch gives you a mixed assortment in a single baking session, and the decorated cookies pack well in tins.

Arrange the five kinds on one platter for an elegant, colorful assortment.

The recipe is based on a version by CHRISSY, Rezepte schnell & lecker, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.

Enjoy! Try more recipes from our kitchen.