Basic Butter Cookie - Christmas Cookies

 By Nana (Marilyn Maggio)

In the month of December I make holiday - Christmas cookies. I will give you a basic butter cookie recipe that you can use just as is or add several different ingredients to it and make different kinds of drop cookies. This is a very easy recipe and children can easily learn how to bake these cookies with you. I will give you my recipe and tell you what other ingredients I use to make different ones but you can use your imagination and use your own ingredients to satisfy your taste buds. This recipe is simple enough that children don't need you to work along with them. I often let my grandchildren bake with me. They especially like to do the cut out shapes and sprinkle the colored sugar on them. Have fun!

Basic Butter Cookie

" lb. butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 - cups flour

In a large bowl cream your butter and sugar together until well blended. Then add your egg yolk and vanilla. Mix well. When butter is fully incorporated with your other ingredients measure your pre-sifted flour and add a half cup at a time mixing well. At first the dough will seem dry but keep mixing, even using your fingers to work it to a smooth consistency. When this is done you can roll out this mixture (small amounts at a time) on a smooth floured surface then take cookie cutters of any shapes you like (stars, bells, trees) and cut out cookies and place well spaced apart on a cookie sheet . At this time you can sprinkle a little colored sugar on the cookies if you like. Bake at 350 degrees for approx. l4 minutes or until the bottoms turn a light brown. If you like your cookies crispy let them stay in a minute or so longer but be careful they can burn very quickly.

 

Variation #1 " Roll small amounts of cookie dough into a round ball between your hands (about the size of a large marble) place on cookie sheet and press down so that it has an indentation in the middle that you can fill with preserves. I have found that a small melon baller does this very nicely. Fill your cookie sheet spacing well apart and fill centers with whatever preserves you like (pineapple, blueberry, strawberry, apricot, raspberry, etc.)
 

Variation #2 - Chop - of a cup of walnuts or pecans and dice 1 cup red marachino cherries plus 2 tablespoons of cherry juice and mix well with dough. Drop by - spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake until tops turn a light brown. Cookies will be chewy not crispy.

Variation # 3 - Drain the juice from a can of crushed pineapple and add to cookie dough adding a little more flour if dough becomes too sticky to work with. You can add - cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to this mixture also - or just the pineapple. Drop by small spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Bake until bottoms just start to brown.

Variation # 4 " Add - cup raisins and a - cup chocolate chips and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet spacing well apart and bake until bottoms turn light brown.

Variation # 5 " Add a few drops of red food coloring to half of your cookie dough and mix well till you have an even red color. Roll a strip of red dough between your palms (till it looks like a worm) about 4 inches long then roll one of the uncolored dough. Braid them together and twist the bottom to look like the letter J and you have a candy cane cookie. Bake until a light brown.

Cool cookies on a rack till thoroughly cool then place in well sealed cookie tins and they will stay for at least a month.

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