In this post, I am sharing how to make 10 amazing holiday cookies from just one dough; such as 3 kinds of chewy cookies (chocolate chip, gingerbread, and chocolate), snowball cookies, piped cookies, cut-out cookies, icebox cookies, gingerbread man, and Linzer cookies!
Firstly, I gotta say, you do NOT need to make all of them if you do not have time. Pick just one flavor with a few designs or have fun with your designs and flavors!
Bake ANY cookie with this cookie dough to create your special holiday cookie box for your family and friends.
In this post, you'll learn essential baking skills such as:
- How to divide the dough and make different flavors easily
- The secret hack to make chewy cookie dough from the butter cookie dough
- The techniques to cut/shape each design.
- My tips about how to bake them to maximize the result! ......and so on!
Jump to:
📌 Frequently asked questions
Wrap the dough tightly and store it in a fridge for up to 4-5 days or a few months in a freezer.
I do not recommend that since it contains raw eggs in it. Store in a fridge or freezer for food safety reasons.
Store them in an air-tight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or a few weeks in a fridge but eating them sooner is better. The cookies get stale and dried over time.
If you want your cookies to stay crispy, adding silica gels to the container is a great option.
Additionally, chewy cookies tend to get dried quickly especially when they are not bagged individually. It also feels much harder when you chill them in a fridge (Because of the butter inside).
Try not to bake them too much time ahead to enjoy the fresh taste!
YES! Have fun with any flavors and designs you like!
📌 VIDEO: Learn how to make it visually!
To learn how to make these holiday cookies visually and have a deeper understanding of all, watch this video.
Also, don't forget to leave a comment there if you liked it😉
📌 Ingredients for 10 Holiday Cookies
The Base Cookie Dough
🎄 First, make the base dough.
Next, divide the base dough into 3 flavors to make 10 kinds of cookies as listed below:
1. Vanilla Dough
- The base dough: 400g | 14.1oz (½ of the whole base cookie dough)
- Vanilla extract: ½ tsp
With the vanilla dough, make 4 kinds of cookies:
- Snowball cookies
- Vanilla dough: 100g | 3.5oz (¼ of the whole dough)
- Toasted pecans: 33g | 1.1oz (⅓ of the vanilla dough) or as much as you like.
- Piped cookies
- Vanilla dough: 100g | 3.5oz (¼ of the whole dough)
- Mixed nuts (optional): Some
- Dark chocolate (melted): Some
- Holiday wreath cookies
- Vanilla dough: 100g | 3.5oz (¼ of the whole dough)
- Dried cranberries as decoration(optional): Some
- Sprinkles: Some
- Chewy mini chocolate chip cookies
- Vanilla dough: 100g | 3.5oz (¼ of the whole dough)
- Brown sugar: 16.6g | 0.6oz (⅙ of the vanilla dough)
- Baking soda: ⅛ tsp
- Chocolate chip: 33g | 1.1oz (⅓ of the vanilla dough)
2. Gingerbread Dough
- The base dough: 200g | 7oz (¼ of the whole base dough)
- Molasses: 40g | 1.4oz (2 Tbsp)
- Ginger: ¾ tsp
- Cinnamon: ¾ tsp
- Allspice: ⅛ tsp
- Clove: ⅛ tsp
- All-purpose flour: 25g | 0.9oz (3 Tbsp)
With the gingerbread dough, make 2 kinds of cookies:
- Chewy mini gingerbread cookies
- Gingerbread dough: 100g | 3.5oz
- Brown sugar: 16.6g | 0.6oz (⅙ of the gingerbread dough)
- Baking soda: ⅛ tsp
- Granulated sugar for coating: Some
- White chocolate as decoration: Some
- Dark chocolate as decoration(optional): Some
- Dried cranberries as decoration(optional): Some
- Gingerbread man cookies
- Gingerbread dough: The rest of the gingerbread dough
- Sprinkles: Some
3. Chocolate Dough
- The base dough: 200g | 7oz (¼ of the whole base cookie dough)
- Cocoa powder: 1 tablespoon + 1 tsp
With the chocolate dough, make 3 kinds of cookies:
- Chewy mini chocolate cookies
- Chocolate dough: 100g | 3.5oz
- Brown sugar: 16.6g | about 0.6oz (⅙ of the chocolate dough)
- Baking soda: ⅛ tsp
- Milk: 1 & ½ tsp
- Dark chocolate as decoration: Some
- Linzer cookies
- The rest of the chocolate dough
- Any jam of your choice: Some
- Powdered sugar as decoration: Some
- Stars
- The dough from Linzer cookies
- Egg white (egg wash)
- Sprinkles: Some
With the leftover dough
- Dried fruits & nuts icebox cookies
- Any leftover dough
- Dried fruits: As much as you like
- Toasted mixed nuts: As much as you like
- Egg white (egg wash)
- Granulated sugar for coating: Some
That's it! Now, let's see the process:
📌 How to make The 10 Holiday Cookies
Follow the 12 steps:
Cookie dough:
- Make 1 batch of the base dough (Find the recipe here)
- Divide the dough and mix the ingredients for 3 flavors: Vanilla, gingerbread, and chocolate.
Make 10-holiday cookies:
Vanilla:
- Snowball cookies: Mix with pecans and chill. Form a ball. (Chill.) Bake. Coat powdered sugar after they are cooled down.
- Piped cookies: Pipe circles and chill. Bake. Pipe melted chocolate in the center.
- Wreath cookies: Roll the dough using parchment paper and chill. Cut the dough to make a wreath shape. Decorate with dried cranberries and sprinkles on top. Chill. Bake. Attach a string as a decoration.
- Mini chocolate chip cookies: Add brown sugar and baking soda to the dough and mix. Add chocolate chips and mix. Chill and form balls; 15g | 0.5oz each. (Chill.) Push the top and attach more chocolate chips on top. Bake.
Gingerbread:
- Mini gingerbread cookies: Add brown sugar and baking soda to the dough and mix. Chill and form balls; 15g | 0.5oz each. Coat granulated sugar around the surface. (Chill.) Push the top and sprinkle more sugar on the top. Bake. Dip some of the cookies in melted white chocolate (& dark chocolate for a marble effect).
- Gingerbread man cookies: Roll the dough using parchment paper and chill. Cut the dough. Add face parts with a toothpick and attach sprinkles. Chill. Bake.
- Mini chocolate cookies: Add brown sugar, baking soda, and milk to the dough and mix. Chill and form balls; 15g | 0.5oz each. (Chill.) Bake. Dip some of the cookies in melted dark chocolate.
Chocolate:
- Linzer cookies: Roll the dough using parchment paper and chill. Cut the dough with a circle and star cookie cutters. Chill. Bake. Dust powdered sugar on the top cookie. Pipe jam on the bottom cookie and sandwich them together.
- Star cookies: Use the cut-out stars from the Linzer cookies. Apply egg wash and attach sprinkles. Chill. Bake.
Leftover:
- Dried fruits & nuts icebox cookies: Collect any leftover dough. Mix with diced fried fruits and nuts. Form a log and freeze. Apply egg wash and attach granulated sugar to the surface. Slice, (chill) and bake.
Bake!
- Bake(Preheated) at 345F | 174C for about 6-15 mins (or more!)
📍 The printable recipe with instructions is at the very end of this post.
Jump to RecipeCheck out below to see more detailed tips!👇🏻
📌 How to roll the dough
The dough is very soft at room temperature.
- If you want to roll it right away, use parchment paper so that your rolling pin does not touch the dough directly.
- Or chill the dough in a fridge first and roll it later!
📌 Baking time
🔥 Bake(Preheated) at 345F | 174C for about 6-15 mins (or more!)
- Adjust the time and temperature depending on the oven and the size and thickness of your cookies.
- Chewy cookies: Be careful not to bake them too long if you want them to be chewy: With my oven, it only takes 6-7 minutes with the size. Keep in mind that even if the cookies are very soft while they are hot, they get a lot harder once they are completely cooled. (If you want them to be crispy, no need to worry about it!) The molasses cookies tend to get baked first and the chocolate cookies are the last. Today I baked on the same tray and took out some first and baked the rest but you can just bake all the flavors on each separate tray to make things a bit easier.
- To enjoy the light and crispy texture, bake the cut-out cookies until you see nice golden caramelization around the edge.
👩🏻🍳 Chill the cut-out or piped cookie dough completely until right before baking By doing that, they don't spread too much in the oven. I like to freeze them to maximize the result!
📌 How to enjoy
Today I introduced 10 Holiday cookies with 3 flavors. But there is no rule for a cookie box! Change around the flavors as you like and make your custom holiday cookie box! You can also have fun with any other shapes and designs.
Use this dough for other seasons and events as well; such as fall cookies, spring cookies, and kids' parties!
📌 Note:
Although I shared a lot of "how to" in this post today, the most important thing at the end of the day is for you to have fun making them and to deliver the love to your special someone. Just imagine getting those special cookies as a gift. ...Anyone would be filled with JOY instantly!!
I remember opening my mom's jewelry box when I was little and just gazing at them, feeling sparkles in my heart. I get the same feeling every time I make a cookie box.
There is no doubt it'll take some time and effort to make them but as pay off, these special treats are staying in their memories to cherish for years.
Wishing you a happy Holiday and Merry Christmas!
Also, check out this post to see how to make these slice-and-bake cookies!
💬 If you loved this recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love to hear how you enjoyed it at home with your friends and family.
📌 The Printable Recipe
10 Holiday Cookies from 1 Dough | Holiday Cookie Box
Equipment
- Stand mixer with a pedal or a bowl with a whisk and spatula
- Whisk
- Spatula
- Baking trays
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutters
Ingredients
The Base Dough: Make one batch of my butter cookie dough recipe. (The link is in this post as well.)
Vanilla Dough
- 14.1 oz The base dough ½ of the whole base cookie dough
- Vanilla extract
1. Snowball Cookies
- 3.5 oz Vanilla dough ¼ of the whole dough
- 1.1 oz Toasted pecans ⅓ of the vanilla dough or as much as you like.
2. Piped Cookies
- 3.5 oz Vanilla dough ¼ of the whole dough
- Toasted nuts optional. I used mixed nuts
- Dark chocolate melted
3. Wreath Cookies
- 3.5 oz Vanilla dough ¼ of the whole dough
- Dried cranberries as decoration optional
- Sprinkles
4. Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 3.5 oz Vanilla dough ¼ of the whole dough
- 0.6 oz Brown sugar ⅙ of the vanilla dough
- Baking soda
- 1.1 oz Chocolate chip ⅓ of the vanilla dough
Gingerbread Dough
- 7 oz The base dough ¼ of the whole base dough
- 1.4 oz Molasses 2 Tbsp
- Ginger
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Clove
- 0.9 oz All-purpose flour 3 Tbsp
5. Mini Gingerbread Cookies
- 3.5 oz Gingerbread dough
- 0.6 oz Brown sugar ⅙ of the gingerbread dough
- Baking soda
- Granulated sugar for coating
- White chocolate as decoration
- Dark chocolate as decoration optional
- Dried cranberries as decoration optional
6. Gingerbread Men Cookies
- The rest of the gingerbread dough
- Sprinkles
Chocolate Dough
- 7 oz The base dough ¼ of the whole base cookie dough
- Cocoa powder
7. Mini Chocolate Cookies
- 3.5 oz Chocolate dough
- 0.6 oz Brown sugar ⅙ of the chocolate dough
- Baking soda
- Milk
- Dark chocolate as decoration
8. Chocolate Linzer Cookies
- The rest of the chocolate dough
- Jam of your choice
- Powdered sugar as decoration
9. Star Cookies
- The dough from Linzer cookies
- Egg white egg wash
- Sprinkles
Any Extra Dough
10. Dried Fruits & Nuts Icebox Cookies
- Leftover dough
- Dried fruits
- Toasted nuts I used mixed nuts
- Egg white egg wash
- Granulated sugar for coating
Instructions
The Base Dough
- Make 1 batch of my cookie dough recipe. (Makes about 800g | 28.2oz of the dough)
Vanilla Dough
- Add vanilla extract to the dough and mix.14.1 oz The base dough, Vanilla extract
Gingerbread Dough
- Add molasses, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, clove, and all-purpose flour to the dough and mix.7 oz The base dough, 1.4 oz Molasses, Ginger, Cinnamon, Allspice, Clove, 0.9 oz All-purpose flour
Chocolate Dough
- Add cocoa powder to the dough and mix.7 oz The base dough, Cocoa powder
1. Snowball Cookies
- Mix with pecans and chill. Form a ball. (Chill.) Bake. Coat powdered sugar after they are cooled down.3.5 oz Vanilla dough, 1.1 oz Toasted pecans
2. Piped Cookies
- Pipe circles and chill. Bake. Pipe melted chocolate in the center.3.5 oz Vanilla dough, Toasted nuts, Dark chocolate
3. Wreath Cookies
- Roll the dough using parchment paper and chill. Cut the dough to make a wreath shape. Decorate with dried cranberries and sprinkles on top. Chill. Bake. Attach a string as a decoration.3.5 oz Vanilla dough, Dried cranberries as decoration, Sprinkles
4. Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Add brown sugar and baking soda to the dough and mix. Add chocolate chips and mix. Chill and form balls; 15g | 0.5oz each. (Chill.) Push the top and attach more chocolate chips on top. Bake.3.5 oz Vanilla dough, 0.6 oz Brown sugar, Baking soda, 1.1 oz Chocolate chip
5. Mini Gingerbread Cookies
- Add brown sugar and baking soda to the dough and mix. Chill and form balls; 15g | 0.5oz each. Coat granulated sugar around the surface. (Chill.) Push the top and sprinkle more sugar on the top. Bake. Dip some of the cookies in melted white chocolate (& dark chocolate to create the marble effect).3.5 oz Gingerbread dough, 0.6 oz Brown sugar, Baking soda, Granulated sugar for coating, White chocolate as decoration, Dark chocolate as decoration, Dried cranberries as decoration
6. Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Add brown sugar, baking soda, and milk to the dough and mix. Chill and form balls; 15g | 0.5oz each. (Chill.) Bake. Dip some of the cookies in melted dark chocolate.The rest of the gingerbread dough, Sprinkles
7. Mini Chocolate Cookies
- Roll the dough using parchment paper and chill. Cut the dough. Add face parts with a toothpick and attach sprinkles. Chill. Bake.3.5 oz Chocolate dough, 0.6 oz Brown sugar, Baking soda, Milk, Dark chocolate as decoration
8. Chocolate Linzer Cookies
- Roll the dough using parchment paper and chill. Cut the dough with a circle and star cookie cutters. Chill. Bake. Dust powdered sugar on the top cookie. Pipe jam on the bottom cookie and sandwich them together.The rest of the chocolate dough, Jam of your choice, Powdered sugar as decoration
9. Star Cookies
- Use the cut-out stars from the Linzer cookies. Apply egg wash and attach sprinkles. Chill. Bake.The dough from Linzer cookies, Egg white, Sprinkles
10. Dried Fruits & Nuts Icebox Cookies
- Collect any leftover dough. Mix with diced fried fruits and nuts. Form a log and freeze. Apply egg wash and attach granulated sugar to the surface. Slice. (Chill) Bake.Leftover dough , Dried fruits, Toasted nuts, Egg white, Granulated sugar for coating
Bake Time
- Bake at 345F | 174C for about 6-15 mins * Adjust the time and temperature depending on the oven and the size and thickness of your cookies.Chewy cookies: Be careful not to bake them too long: With my oven, it only takes 6-7 minutes with the size. Keep in mind that even if the cookies are very soft while they are hot, they get a lot harder once they are completely cooled. If you want them to be crispy, no need to worry about it!To enjoy the light and crispy texture, bake the cut-out cookies until you see nice golden caramelization around the edge.
Video
Nutrition
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