Cookies all with one dough
With this cookie recipe and instructions, you’ll be able to make this gorgeous tray of cookies!
One recipe makes ALL these cookies…
No need to make batches and batches of cookies to get these beauties!
One recipe will deliver all these fabulous cookies!
The flavor possibilities are endless.
I share with you the recipe to make this delicious tray of cookies along with all the tips to be able to recreate the array of cookies yourself… easily!
I just love having a variety of cookies that not only look great but taste delicious, normally it would take all day to bake up as many batches of cookies as what is here on this tray.
That all changed when I devised a plan to be able to bake a large assortment of cookies as quickly as possible.
It takes under 2 hours to complete all these cookies. If you have someone helping you, it may only take an hour and a half.
Begin by planning out how many varieties of cookies you will be making.
Gather the topping and flavors you’d like to add. You’ll need 2 tablespoons-1/2 cup of each topping in order to make 3 cookies in each flavor. It will depend on what size you make each cookie, just how much topping you’ll need, and what those toppings are, like nuts you need more of than sprinkles. Sprinkles are smaller and cover a cookie more easily than nuts because they are bulkier.
About this cookie recipe
This cookie dough does not spread.
Whatever shape you make the dough into, it will hold its shape when baked.
This dough reminds me of bakery cookies, the cookies are not overly sweet. Which is perfect for all sorts of toppings. Too much flour will result in a dry cookie that cracks and crumbles.
These cookies bake at 400 degrees.
Keep an eye on your cookies for a minute at 400° makes a difference.
Thick baking sheets work best. Thin baking sheets heat very quickly melting the butter in cookies first, they then spread and brown on the bottom.
Here is a link to a post I wrote that has loads of my favorites. My favorite baking sheets, parchment paper and so much more.
Do not remove cookies from the baking sheet, you risk messing the cookies and they will finish baking without browning as the cookie sheet No need to transfer cookies to cooling racks and makes crumbs everywhere.
Using the BEST quality ingredients produces the best-tasting cookies.
Vanilla, be sure to use the great vanilla, you can taste the difference.
Do not substitute the butter for anything else in this recipe This recipe calls for powdered sugar, also known as 10X sugar. Not granulated sugar.
Granulated sugar and brown sugar test batches resulted in drier cookies.
Tips on baking these cookies
Work on parchment or waxed paper for best results (not a floured work surface)
Have your topping ready before you begin cutting your dough into portions, or it can get dry and the toppings won’t adhere to the dough as well.
If the dough does get dry while working with it, or if you added too much flour. Spread a teaspoon of butter on your hands and rub it until it melts then take the ball of dough and rub the butter on your hands into the dough. Do this a couple of times if needed.
But remember it’s best to not over flour, it’s best to be able to add flour if needed, not the other way around. When testing the doneness of cookies, you will be looking for blonde cookies the bottoms will be a light golden color, not the edges of the cookies, they should be light.
Test one cookie by gently lifting it up to see if the color on the bottom of the cookie is lightly golden.
Do not overcrowd your baking sheets when baking cookies a rule of thumb is 12 cookies per tray, if you are baking large cookies bake 9 if you are making smaller cookies 15 may fit. (15 tablespoon size)
Bake cookies of similar size on each tray or you will have half of them done before the others
Smaller cookies reduce the baking time by a minute.
an eye dropper works well when adding small amounts of extract. Baking supply stores sell mini eye droppers for this.
Bake cookies to Light Golden on the LEFT Cookies on the right are overbaked and dryer.
Cookie dough shaped and cut into 9 portions. Why 9, well I started with 9 and it made each portion easy to work with. Some I cut smaller and combined with other dough later to finish making all the varieties I wanted.
My best suggestion is if you are working by yourself roll the balls from the large portion of dough as you go, or the outside will get slightly dry as it sits waiting and the sprinkles and such won’t stick. If you are working with someone, then your roll and they can begin putting the topping on the dough.
I rolled 6 portions the size I originally cut, then I rolled three portions dividing the 1/4 into 1/8’s to make smaller cookies, as soon as I made the amount of cookies I wanted in each size, I blended the dough together to create the cookie I stamped on. To show there are many ways you can shape and decorate these cookies.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap as it sits on the counter it will prevent drying. Especially in the winter if the heat is on in the house, the dough will dry slightly and not cooperate as easily.
Pressing the cookies flatter with the lid of a mason jar made it easy to spread them evenly (lightly butter lid so toppings don’t stick to it)
Cookies
1) Jam Filled (Orange Marmalade)
2) Holly Sprinkles (green jimmies+red balls) 3) Peppermint Kiss
4) Cinnamon Swirl
5) Multi Colored Sugar Sprinkles
6) Coconut
7) Mini Chocolate Chips
8) Mini M&M’s
9) Chocolate Covered
10) Walnut
11) Glaze Icing
12) Rainbow Nonpareils + Chocolate Kiss 13) Stamped Cookie
Cookies
1) Jam-press your thumb into the dough and add a 1/2- 1 teaspoon of jam to the cookie dough.
Add a drop of orange or lemon extract to the palm of the hand and rub with the other hand then roll the dough and the extract will absorb the extract.
2) Roll the dough and coat with sprinkles then press the cookie flatter with a mason jar lid (butter lid if needed).
3) Place a drop of peppermint extract in the palm of your hand rub your hands together then apply to the dough, bake cookie then immediately press a peppermint kiss into the cookie.
4) Roll small balls of dough into a thin log, roll in cinnamon, and roll up like a coil.
5) Roll balls into multi sprinkles then press flat with mason jar lid (butter lid if needed or sprinkles stick).
6) Add 2 teaspoons of coconut to the cookie dough roll into a ball and then roll it into more coconut. Add coconut extract to your hands prior to rolling if you like lots of coconut flavor. Press cookie flat with mason jar lid (butter lightly if needed).
7) Add a tablespoon of mini chocolate chips to the dough ball then roll into more chips. Press cookie flatter with a mason jar lid.
8) Add about a tablespoon of mini M&M’s into a dough ball and then roll the ball into more mini M&M’s. Press the dough to flatten with a mason jar lid.
9) Roll and cut out cookies into stars or desired share bake and cool then dip and cover in melted chocolate.
10) Mix dough with chopped nuts add nut-flavored extract into dough as well if desired (walnuts and almonds are popular) then roll dough into more nuts. Press dough with a mason jar lid so it’s flatter before baking.
11) Roll and cut out cookie into heart or desired shape, bake, cool, and then ice with glaze icing. If only icing a small amount of cookies you can mix a small amount of icing you won’t need a whole batch. Glaze icing recipe
12) Roll a small dough ball into rainbow nonpareils then bake immediately from the oven press a chocolate kiss into the cookie.
13) Use a rubber stamp to press an image into cookie dough. The possibilities here are endless, For Holidays, Birthdays, Thank You’s or a favorite cute stamp,
*Do not bake with chocolate kisses, remember the chocolate kisses get placed on the cookies as soon as the cookies come out of the oven.
Bakery Cookie Ingredients
- butter
- powdered sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°.
I use a KitchenAid mixer to mix my dough.
In the mixer bowl cream together butter and sugar.
Then add in the eggs and vanilla.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, then mix on medium-low to incorporate it all.
Mix on medium until the dough forms a ball, and pulls away from the sides.
*Follow the Instructions for each cookie variety you prefer Bake at 400° for 7 minutes. (7 minutes is the baking time for most all of the cookies except the cookies with the kisses, jam, and cinnamon they baked at 6 minutes as they are smaller
To be sure your oven is at the proper temperature be sure to preheat it long enough, use an oven thermometer to double-check your oven temperature.
This cookie tray is not only easy and efficient to make and presents a beautiful and delicious array of cookies the basics are great for any occasion.
Extracts: There are MANY varieties of extracts, like butter vanilla, rum, and more.
My favorite flavors are LorAnn’s available online and in bakery supply stores.
Any occasion:
To create cookies for ANY occasion use different colored sprinkles, cookie cutters, flavors as well and stamps to personalize a gorgeous tray of cookies for each and every occasion that comes along. Graduations, Baby Showers, Wedding and Bridal Showers, Graduations, Birthdays, Game Day Parties and MORE!!!
There are reasons this tray looks appealing, there is a balance to it that is created by the number of cookies in each variety. It’s set up nicely so it doesn’t look like a hodge-podge, present the cookies nicely without mixing them so sprinkles don’t get on cookies that don’t have sprinkles. The colors work well together and there is a brightness when using a few varieties of colors on a tray.
You can use any number of cookies per variety, odd numbers work great for this.
There is one more GREAT thing about this dough. It is forgiving. I have made it many times by adding the ingredients in the wrong order to see how it would come out. I have even added all the ingredients all at once, which is unheard of in cookie making) and the dough still comes out great! That is a great tip to know especially if you are having kids help as sometimes they tend to dump things into the bowl out of order, no need to panic, the cookie will turn out fine. Dozens of cookies have been tested to be sure you’d love this.
*I’ve also made this recipe with one egg and it works well. But two eggs allow the dough to puff up a little more and make for a more moist cookie overall when handling it as much as you do in this recipe!
Cookies all with one dough
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter*
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 2 1/2 3 cups all-purpose flour add more flour as needed**
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- *if you use salted butter reduce the salt to 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°
- I use a KitchenAid mixer to mix my dough.
- In the mixer bowl cream together butter and sugar.
- Then add in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, then mix on medium-low to incorporate it all.
- Mix on medium until the dough forms a ball, and pulls away from the sides.
- *Follow Instructions for each cookie variety you prefer Bake at 400° for 7 minutes. (7 minutes is the baking time for most all of the cookies except the cookies with the kisses, jam, and cinnamon they baked at 6 minutes as they are smaller.
- **dough should be soft and not have a flour feel when fully mixed, it is easier to add a little flour. Once you add too much flour to cookies you can not remove it. So add a small amount (a tablespoon) at a time if you need it. You may not. You will be handling this dough quite a bit and don't want it to be dry after baking.
This is by far the best cookie recipe ever, I’ve made it three times and will be using it to make Christmas cookies this year!