The Christmas Cookie Box

Make 5 different cookies from one delicious “Mother Dough”. And then make more cookies from each flavor. Get step-by-step directions for all these beautiful cookies and how to create a Cookie Box

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I’m a newbie baker. So what does a newbie do at Christmastime? Make cookies and a Christmas cookie box! I found the most fabulous recipe that makes one mother dough that makes five different flavored cookies! And they are delicious. Ready to make a cookie box.

This is a H-U-G-E post with step-by-step directions and lots and lots and lots of info and ideas to help you be super successful when you make these cookies!

Thanks for the cookie inspiration

Hi Yvonne, Thanks for the cookie inspiration. Love the different ideas for packaging. Thank you.
Gayle
StoneGable Reader
BEAUTIFUL COOKIE BOX

GOODNESS! This post is like reading a Christmas Cookie Book! There are so many amazing recipes and so much good stuff here today!

I think this cookie recipe has added Christmas delight and wonderful smells to our home!

And remember I am a rather new baker so no judging! My cookies are not perfect. They actually turned out so much better than I thought they would.

To see how to put together a cookie box go to the end of this post if you are not interested in the recipes.

INSIDE A COOKIE BOX

ONE DOUGH= 5 DIFFERENT COOKIES

COOKIES ON A WIRE RACK

This recipe makes a huge batch of generic butter cookie dough. I used my stand mixer and it almost filled the bowl!

The dough is light and of course buttery and has a lovely texture!

I made five different cookies for my Christmas cookie box from this one dough. Pressed butter cookies, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, almond-flavored Linzer cookies, and a deep yummy chocolate cookie.

The idea of these cookies is to make them small-ish So you can get many different cookies in a cookie box.

You should be able to make several cookie boxes out of this one recipe. You can get more boxes depending on the size of the box or tin or other containers you put them in. And to get more cookie boxes you can add other goodies to the box as well. Like…

  • chocolate covered pretzels
  • wrapped candies
  • truffles
  • chocolates
  • faux greens
  • crinkle shredded paper
  • or anything else you can imagine

I spread my cookie making out over three days. You could certainly make them all in a day but I just don’t have a whole day to spend making cookies.

However, I looked so forward to my cookie time every day.

Here’s my schedule…

I made the mother dough, separated all the dough, and made each different cookie dough. I formed each dough into a disc and individually wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator.

I took all the dough out of the refrigerator except the butter cookie dough an hour before I planned to make cookies.

This day I rolled out, cut, and baked sugar cookies, Linzer cookies, gingerbread cookies, and chocolate cookies.

I left them on the counter until the next morning.

I decorated the cookies and later that day put together the cookie boxes.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Making cookies is a fun activity and although it seems like you need a lot of “stuff” it’s really not bad.

Because I broke my cookie making up into three days I got out what I needed for each day and my kitchen actually stayed quite neat!

Here’s a list of what I used to make the cookies…

  • stand mixer- see mine HERE
  • spatulas and spoons- HERE
  • bowls- HERE
  • parchment paper (this will make cookie making SO MUCH EASIER) see it HERE
  • baking sheets- see them HERE
  • wire cooling rack- see it HERE
  • cookie press-see it HERE or open star tip #828- see it HERE and disposable pastry bags- see them HERE
  • cookie cutters- see mine HERE and HERE and HERE (similar) and HERE and HERE.
  • a scale for weighing food- see mine HERE
  • hot pad and oven- see mine HERE

Just a word about a food scale… GET ONE! They are inexpensive and WOW, did this help me make better cookies!

You can make cookies without one but measuring out your ingredients in grams makes cookies almost no-fail!!!

The scale was a game-changer for me!

Let’s decorate our Christmas cookies the easy way! I either used powdered sugar or dark chocolate or white chocolate. These toppings added the extra sweetness that made these cookies just perfect.

Besides the mother cookie dough ingredients (listed in the recipe) and the add-ins to make each different cookie (also listed in each recipe), you will need

  • a plate or pie pan, a bowl, and a sieve to sprinkle powdered sugar over some of the cookies (see image below)
  • melting chocolate, a medium glass bowl and spoon – see it HERE and white melting chocolate HERE

You can see how I sprinkled the powdered sugar over the cookies below.

SUGAR SIFTED ON A COOKIE

And I melted the chocolate according to the package directions and drizzled it on the cookies with a spoon or dipped them in the chocolate. Super easy!

cookies cooling on a wire rack
BATTER IN A BOWL

This is the “mother” dough from which I get five different cookies.

The cookies from this dough are just mildly sweet and have a delicious crumb!

I made the mother dough and divided it up into five equal batches, wrapped it in plastic wrap, and refrigerated it.

I weighed out each portion of dough so they would be the same. But you can use an ice cream scoop to get the same amount of dough divided into five batches.

BATTER DIVIDED ON PARCHEMENT

Here’s the easy butter Cookie dough that is the backbone of my Christmas cookie box divided up.

And look at what it makes!

cookies cooling on a wire rack
5 from 5 votes

CHRISTMAS COOKIE BOX BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH

A light buttery cookie dough that makes five different kinds of cookies
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 750 grams room temperature softened unsalted butter 6 and 2/3 sticks of butter
  • 300 grams powdered sugar 2 and 1/2 cups
  • 3 XL egg whites
  • 900 grams all purpose flour 6 and 1/2 cups
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 TBS vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl and hand-held mixer) add the butter and whip for 30 seconds on high.
  • Add the powdered sugar and mix on low gradually turning the mixer to high and beat for a few minutes or until the butter is light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg white a little at a time and mix to incorporate each time. Beat the mixture well.
  • Add the salt to the flour. Mix in the flour about a cup at a time to the butter mixture. Start at the lowest speed and then mix on medium-high. Repeat until all the flour is incorporated into the dough.
  • Don't be afraid to really mix this dough. It has so much butter in it that you won't develop the glutens in the flour.
  • Add the vanilla and mix to incorporate it.

Notes

This is a light butter cookie dough. Use a cookie press to make cookies or an open star tip (I use #828) and a pastry bag to pipe pretty squiggles.
Bake at 340° for about 12 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. 
Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Course: Cookies

All the cookies except the pressed butter cookies are made the same way.

Put the mother dough and the mix-in’s in a large bowl to make each flavor cookie. Mix with a spoon and then knead the dough to incorporate all the ingredients.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes if you are going to make the cookies right away.

I made the dough and put it in the refrigerator overnight. Then took it out of the refrigerator one hour before I rolled it out the next day.

I rolled the dough in between two pieces of parchment paper. Please do this. I had no flour or mess on my countertops. I’ll never make rolled cookies any other way again!

When you stamp out cookies and bake them you need very cold dough. So after I rolled out the dough I put it back in the refrigerator to firm it up again

I put the parchment paper with the rolled out dough together in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Super easy!

If you make more than one cookie dough at a time this works great. By the time I was done rolling out the last dough the first dough is chilled and ready to be cut out.

The recipe calls for cookies to be rolled out 1/4 inch thick. My cookies were a bit thicker. And that worked out fine!

All cookies bake at 340°. Trust me. That 10 ° makes a lot of difference. Depending on the size of the cookies they took from 10-14 minutes. Just watch them.

The cookies should only be the slightest golden on the very edges if that.

Now here are the recipes…

cookies cooling on a wire rack

All the blond-looking cookies except for the Linzer and squiggly ones are sugar cookies.

The recipe made more cookies than you see on the wire rack. The bigger the cookies the fewer you will get and vice versa.

5 from 5 votes

SUGAR CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/5 mother dough recipe
  • 50 grams all-purpose flour 5 TBS
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Instructions

  • Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Knead with your hands to incorporate.
  • Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces of parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 more minutes.
  • Cut out shapes. Gather up remanents into a ball and roll out again and cut.
  • Put the shapes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If they are becoming soft refrigerate them again until they are firm.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes at 340 ° oven in the center of the oven.
  • Let the cookies rest in the pan for a few minutes and then move to a wire rack and cool completely.
  • Decorate.

LINZER COOKIES

LINSER COOKIES

I love love love Linzer cookies! And I was super excited to see how they were made from the mother dough! They were lovely with a delicate almond flavor!

Here’s how I cut them out.

Think of Linzer cookies as sandwich cookies. They have two parts. A solid bottom cookie and a top cookie that has a cutout shape in the center of it.

I baked the little cutout stars. They are darling tiny cookies.

They are put together with a good-quality jam. I like raspberry.

5 from 5 votes

LINZER CHRISTMAS COOKIES

A slightly sweet, mildly almond flavored cookie with a class jam filling.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/5 mother dough
  • 60 grams almond flour 1/2 cup
  • 40 grams all-purpose flour 4 TBS
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • jam

Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients except the jam in a large mixing bowl with a spoon. Knead the dough to incorporate all the ingredients.
  • Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces of parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 more minutes.
  • Cut out shapes. Cut out two of the same cookies for each Linzer cookie. Keep one solid and cut out the center of the other one with a small cookie cutter. Gather up remanents into a ball and roll out again and cut.
  • Put all the shapes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If they are becoming soft refrigerate them again until they are firm.
  • Bake for 10-14 minutes at 340 ° oven in the center of the oven. The tiny cutout cookies may take less time.
  • Let the cookies rest in the pan for a few minutes and then move to a wire rack and cool completely.
  • To assemble the Linzer cookies, dust the top of the cookie with powdered sugar and add a small dollop of jam to the center of the bottom cookie. Put the top powdered sugar cookie top on the bottom cookie and let the jam squeeze up and fill the cutout in the top of the cookie.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

cookies cooling on a wire rack

These cookies are very mildly flavored because they do not use molasses. The ginger in these cookies shines!

The cocoa powder in the recipe gives the cookie its color. I have an amazing (not bragging, truth) sense of smell so I could smell the cocoa but could not taste it.

5 from 5 votes

GINGERBREAD CHRISTMAS COOKIES

A mild gingerbread cookie that is only slightly sweet with lots of ginger flavor.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 tsp ginger
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 40 grams all-purpose flour 4 TBS

Instructions

  • Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Knead with your hands to incorporate.
  • Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces of parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 more minutes.
  • Cut out shapes. Gather up remanents into a ball and roll out again and cut.
  • Put the shapes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If they are becoming soft refrigerate them again until they are firm.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes at 340 ° oven in the center of the oven.
  • Let the cookies rest in the pan for a few minutes and then move to a wire rack and cool completely.
  • Decorate.

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES

cookies cooling on a wire rack

These cookies surprised me. I’m usually disappointed by chocolate cookies. But these are delicious! Rich and very very chocolatey! They taste like a brownie.

From the time I started mixing them, I could smell good chocolate.

HERE is the cocoa I used. I think this has a lot to do with how wonderful the cookies smelled and tasted!

5 from 5 votes

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 50 grams good dark cocoa powder 5 and 1/2 TBS
  • 5 TBS hot whole milk
  • 10 grams powdered sugar 1 and 1/2 TBS
  • 20 grams all-purpose flour 2 TBS

Instructions

  • Mix the cocoa powder into the hot milk to make a paste.
  • Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Knead with your hands to incorporate.
  • Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces of parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 more minutes.
  • Cut out shapes. Gather up remanents into a ball and roll out again and cut.
  • Put the shapes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If they are becoming soft refrigerate them again until they are firm.
  • Bake for 12-14 minutes at 340 ° oven in the center of the oven.
  • Let the cookies rest in the pan for a few minutes and then move to a wire rack and cool completely.
  • Decorate

USING SCRAPS

I used the scraps to make some fun cookies!

First I used the sugar and chocolate cookie doughs to make striped cookies!

They turned out a bit wonky but I was so okay with them as this was my first attempt!

cookies cooling on a wire rack

I also gathered up the sugar cookie and chocolate, sugar cookies, and gingerbread scraps together to make fun marbled cookies.

ROUND COOKIES CUT OUT OF DOUGH

I didn’t waste any little bit! The smaller my dough got the small my cookies got!

cookies cooling on a wire rack

And I think those tiny stars make the Christmas Cookie Box look so so festive and pretty!

BEAUTIFUL COOKIE BOX

A Christmas Cookie Box is a sampler. Several cookies of each type.

INSIDE A COOKIE BOX

You can use a cookie tin, a box, a small baker (like I did) or even a paper bag cut down.

I lined the red baker with parchment paper.

RED BAKER WITH HANDLES

And then began to creatively stack the cookies next to one another inside the baker.

INSIDE A COOKIE BOX
INSIDE A COOKIE BOX
INSIDE A COOKIE BOX

I folded in the parchment, tied a festive ribbon around the baker, and added a gift tag.

CHRISTMAS COOKIE BOX

Oh, YUM!

I have enough cookies to make about 5 Christmas Cookie Boxes!

I hope you will give these scrumptious cookies a try this year!

Here’s another idea for presenting beautiful Christmas Cookies…

Just look at the sweet cookie packaging idea from my friend Ann!

DECORATED POTS HOLD COOKIES

You can see how to make these pretty pots and gift tags and the scrumptious cookies that go in them HERE.

You can also see my gift tags too HERE.

Merry Baking!

PIN OF COOKIES ON A WIRE RACK

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Recipe Rating




30 Comments

  1. Pamela Graham says:

    Is there a place where I can print all this?

    1. Hi Pamela,
      Each cookie has it’s own printable recipe. It’s right in the post. Hope this helps.

  2. Hi Yvonne, Thanks for the cookie inspiration. Love the different ideas for packaging. What do you store your cookies in before bringing them out for company display. Thank you.

    1. They should be stored in an airtight container in a cool place, but not the frig. Hope this helps.

      And this is just me, I had these cookies on the counter for 3 days and they were not stale. Hope this helps.

  3. 5 stars
    These cookies looks so mouthwatering yummy that I need to stop and get a napkin to wipe my drawls thanks for sharing

  4. Oh, Yvonne, you are like having a really delightful and talented sister who pops in and lovingly guides me to up my homemaking game. Your big holiday cookie dough recipe is keeper. And it prompts me to share how I managed the “big-batch life”, churning out baked goods in small kitchens as I raised my family. Committed to maximizing space, I purchased a stacked cooling rack maybe thirty years ago. It holds four baking sheets or grid-type cooling racks at a time, taking up the counter space of only a single sheet. It folds to 22” long and only 1” thick so easily stores in the cupboard next to my baking sheets which are all 18” x 13”. Not just for cookies, each shelf is rated to hold a whopping ten pounds so it has held everything I’ve ever asked of it – the thickest of cookies, bars, cakes, rolls, sheet cakes, pies, casseroles destined for the freezer… You get the idea. It is exceptionally well made – and affordable. I don’t remember where I purchased it but King Arthur Flour sells it today. Here is their link if any of your loyal followers have, like me, sorely limited counter space yet long to “big batch”:

    https://shop.kingarthurbaking.com/items/stacked-cooling-rack

    Fond regards.

  5. What a super post today! Linzer cookies were always a favorite in my house and I make them for Valentine’s Day too but use a heart shaped cookie cutter. I also brush melted chocolate on the bottom cookie before I add the raspberry jam. Chocolate and raspberry combined is absolutely the best and my daughter’s favorite. Please give it a try, I promise you’ll love it!!!!

  6. I can hardly believe you are a newbie baker, Yvonne! Your cookies are beautiful. I enjoy baking cookies, too. My favorite dessert is cookies and milk. And cheesecake.

    Liberty

  7. SUSAN R DEMME says:

    What a lovely idea!! Could you tell me where you found the pretty red bakers to use as a cookie box?

    1. Hi Susan, I picked it up at our local grocery store. Sorry, I don’t have a source.

  8. Theresa David says:

    5 stars
    Liebe Yvonne, wie schön, dass ihr jetzt auch in Amerika Weihnachtsgebäck macht. Wir lernen das schon in der Schule oder von der Mutter. Deine Kekse sehen wunderbar aus! Und nächstes Jahr kannst du dann auch schon Kekse mit Mandeln und Haselnuss backen. Hab eine schöne Adventszeit und bleib gesund! Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland für dich, Theresa

  9. CarolbinTX says:

    5 stars
    Hi Yvonne, do you have any tips for dipping things in chocolate? I always fail in this endeavor because they always turn out very messy and they just don’t look pretty. My son’s favorite is a package or nutter butters, crushed, mixed with one 8 oz block of cream cheese, rolled in balls, dipped in chocolate and decorated. Sort of like a truffle. When done right, they look very pretty in the small muffin baking cups. But I’ve failed so many times with the dipping that I refuse to make them. Any time I see a recipe where dipping things in chocolate is one of the steps, I skip it! I’m thinking about melting the chocolate in my small crock to keep it warm, maybe that will help.

    I make up cookie boxes for all of my cul de sac neighbors. I have a chocolate mint cookie that would just overpower the other cookies, so I wrap them in those good bags. Also, for filler, I add green and red wrapped chocolate candies – rolos, reeses, etc.

    1. Use the chocolate I suggested. It melts so easily and I just dip one half of the cookie in it and the chocolate dries quickly.

  10. Monica Bell says:

    These look amazing can you tell me how many cookies this batch makes, I have to make 120 cookies for a Christmas Cookie exchange. Thanks

    1. I’m sorry I can’t because there are so many sizes! This does make a lot of cookies. I would guess it could make 120 cookies if they are not too big.

  11. I have a question regarding you sugar cookie mother dough. Do you actually use 6 and 2/3 cups butter in the recipe??
    I am anxious to try it!

    Thanks…..love your website!

  12. 5 stars
    Thank you so much for the great recipes. I definitely look forward to trying these out around Christmas time!

  13. Would you happen to know how much 3 XL egg whites weigh? TIA.

  14. Wowwww !!!!!
    A must have for every baker.
    One thing. The last two recipes didn’t have the dough mentioned. Assuming they should be 1/5th too??
    Please clarify/ confirm.

    Thank you !!

      1. Thank you so much for the prompt reply❤️

  15. Barbara Rowlett says:

    5 stars
    Best blog I’ve found in an endless search for a nice butter cookie that is versatile. My German grandmother has made a form of that ginger bread our whole lives. Your recipe is the only ginger bread I’ve found that incorporates cocoa! My granny would say to add rum and almond too and top it with a sheer powdersugar frosting. That smell is Christmas to me. Thank you for the wonderful instructions and explanation. Trying to fill her shoes for my own kids. Her and I both perfectionists, it’s no easy feat. Thank you again and merry Christmas ❤️

    1. I wish you lots of beautiful memories of your grandmother while making cookies this Christmas.