Simplicity itself. We love this, especially at holiday time, because from just one easy cookie dough, you can make fourteen kinds of cookies. Putting the sugar through a food processor gives these cookies a wonderful lightness and fineness of texture. This is a master recipe. All the variations are listed at the end of the recipe.
Yield: about 7 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies
Cornmeal Citrus Cookies: Follow the master recipe, adding 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon or orange zest to the creamed butter, sugar, and salt, and substituting 1 cup find cornmeal for 1 cup of the flour.
Chocolate-Cinnamon Cookies: Follow the master recipe, adding 1 ounce melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate to the creamed butter, sugar, and salt. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa for 1/4 cup of the flour and add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the flour-cocoa mixture.
Marble Cookies: Follow the master recipe, stirring 2 ounces melted and cooled semisweet or bittersweet chocolate into one-quarter of the master recipe dough. Divide the chocolate dough into 6 portions. Press into the remaining three-quarters of the master recipe dough. Knead the doughs together to create a marbled effect.
Lemon Butter Cookies: Follow the master recipe, adding 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest to the creamed butter, sugar, and salt.
Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies: Follow the master recipe, adding 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest to the creamed butter, sugar, and salt, and stirring 2 tablespoons poppy seeds into the finished dough.
Orange Butter Cookies: Follow the master recipe, adding 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest to the creamed butter, sugar, and salt.
Orange-Nut Cookies: Follow the master recipe, adding 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest and 1 cup finely ground walnuts, pecans, or skinned hazelnuts to the creamed butter, sugar, and salt.
Coconut Cookies: Follow the master recipe, stirring 1 cup flaked sweetened dried coconut, toasted, into the finished dough.
Ginger Cookies: Follow the master recipe, adding 1 teaspoon ground ginger to the flour and stirring 6 tablespoons finely minced candied ginger into the finished dough.
Butterscotch Cookies: Follow the master recipe, substituting 1 cup packed light brown sugar for the sugar.
Peanut Butter Cookies: Because of the extra fat from the peanut butter, these cookies have a sandier, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Follow the master recipe, creaming 2/3 cup peanut butter with the butter, sugar, and salt.
Spice Cookies: Follow the master recipe, substituting 1 cup packed light brown sugar for the sugar and adding 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves to the flour.
Raisin-Spice Cookies: Prepare Spice Cookies, above, stirring 1/2 cup finely minced raisins or 1/2 cup dried currants into the finished dough.
Posted by kdipaolo at Recipe Goldmine 6/11/01 2:38:08 pm.