Christmas Butter Cookies

Name: Christmas Butter Cookies
Yield: 6-12 cookies
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups (560 mL) all purpose flour; 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt; 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) butter softened; 1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar; 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract

Desserts & Sweets

This classic butter cookies recipe is the perfect starting point for a delicious array of Christmas butter cookies: Almond Crescents, Chocolate Buttons, Nice & Nutty Pecan Balls, Mini Chips Shorties, Chocolate Nut-Tipped Logs, and Orange Walnut Crisps. Check out all of the recipes below!

Cooking: 10 -15 minutes

Yields 6-12 cookies

A variety of butter cookies served in a wooden gift box

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (560 mL) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 1/4 cups (310 mL) butter softened
1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla extract

READY FOR REWARDS?

Preparation

Stir together flour and salt. Cream butter; gradually beat in sugar and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture little by little. Proceed with one of the following variations:

Almond Crescents:

Stir 1 cup (250 mL) ground almonds into dough. Form into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls. Shape into crescents. Place on unbuttered baking sheets. Bake one dozen at a time in 350°F (180°C) oven 12 to 15 minutes. Cool. Drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Buttons:

Stir 1-1/2 cups(375 mL) chopped toasted hazelnuts into dough. Form into 3/4 inch (18 mm) balls. Place on unbuttered baking sheets. Bake one dozen at a time at 325°F (160°C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool. Fill indentation with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Makes 9 dozens cookies.

Nice & Nutty Pecan Balls:

Stir 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) finely chopped toasted pecans into dough. Form into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls; roll in ground pecans to coat, if desired. Place on unbuttered baking sheets. Bake one dozen at a time in 325°F (160°C) oven 12 to 15 minutes. Garnish with melted semi-sweet chocolate. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Mini Chips Shorties:

Stir 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) miniature chocolate chips into dough. Form into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls. Place on unbuttered baking sheets; flatten slightly in criss-cross pattern with fork. Bake one dozen at a time in 325°F (160°C) oven 11 to 12 minutes. Cool. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Nut-Tipped Logs:

Form dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls; shape into 2-inch (5 cm) long cylinders. Place on unbuttered baking sheets. Bake one dozen at a time in 325°F (160°C) oven 12 to 15 minutes. Cool. Dip ends in melted semi-sweet chocolate; then in finely chopped nuts. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Orange Walnut Crisps:

Stir 1 cup (250mL) finely chopped toasted walnuts and 1 tbsp (15 mL) grated orange peel into dough. Form dough into 1/2-inch (12 mm) balls. Place on unbuttered cookie sheets; flatten to rounds about 1-inch (2.5 cm) in diameter with flat bottomed glass dipped in granulated sugar. Bake 2 dozen at a time in 325°F (160°C) oven 10 minutes. Cool. Dip half of each cookie into melted semi-sweet chocolate. Makes 12 dozen cookies.