When was the last time you updated your holiday cookie routine? This December, I propose a revitalization. My simple recipe is the starting point for a near-endless variety of cookies with spirited flavors and clever, contemporary prettifications. They’re a joy to gift or arrange on a dessert platter, and—best of all—they don’t require any special skills to make.
Behind the Recipes
Turn One Dough Into Six Different Holiday Cookies
Creating festive, artsy treats has never been more fun, thanks to our flexible slice-and-bake formula and inspired, easy-to-execute designs.
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A slice-and-bake style allows for loads of creativity, as the personalization possibilities are vast and easy to pull off: The dough can be studded with seasonal goodies such as dried or glacéed fruit and crystallized ginger; perfumed with extracts, citrus zest, and spices; trimmed with nuts, sanding sugar, or coconut; festooned with chocolate; or stenciled with freeze-dried fruit powder.
Furthermore, a tube of slice-and-bakes on standby in the fridge or freezer will be your holiday hero. When guests drop by or you’re extended a last-minute party invite, just slice your cookies and pop them in the oven. Need to give a gift? The confections’ flat silhouettes are tailor-made for stacking in boxes or tins.
Because a neutral backdrop is optimal for showcasing adornments, a chewy sugar cookie proved too sweet for the task. Its relatively low fat content also meant that the treats quickly staled, and I wanted something that would stay fresh long enough to survive a journey by mail.
I suspected that a basic butter cookie—butter creamed with sugar, plus flour (and vanilla and salt)—would tick all the boxes. Sure enough, the crumb was rich and subtly sweet, albeit a little too tender. A single egg yolk, rich in protein, firmed up the cookies, and extra sugar led to crispness that lasted for an impressive week and a half.
Next, I streamlined the method by switching to melted butter. In place of creaming, which incorporates tiny air bubbles that inflate in the oven, a smidge of baking powder leavened the crumb to a sturdy, slightly open texture.
With the basic dough settled, I played with cheery flavors. My favorites follow, along with easy techniques for making the most beautiful cookies for you and yours.
Watch Lan Lam demonstrate this versatile cookie recipe.
