Make 4 different Cookies with one basic cookie dough recipe

Unleash your creativity of Cookie baking from this one Basic Cookie Dough Recipe

It is Christmas time again, oven are on and everyone is busy baking goodies for their loved ones. Cookies, Cakes, Pies, Breads, Candies is on the mind, be it for baking for family gather together, visiting friends. Homes are decorated they give warm and festive feel. Each family has fond traditions to celebrate, gifts are shared and of course there is every one's traditional Christmas Feast. The festive spirit of Christmas brings so much of joy all around the World irrespective of religion and country.

Cookies for Christmas or any day!!

Christmas and Cookies go hand in hand!! Kids love cookies and so do the grown ups. Each one of us have our one or the other favorite. Not only it's the Christmas time, cookies are all enjoyed all around the year. For snacking, for gifting and treating!! Be it Choco chip Cookies or these Hazelnut Cookies, a kids will finish off the glass of milk without making any fuss!

Looking for some different flavor in cookies, try this Chocolate Cookies with Indian Garam Masala or these soft melt in mouth Nan-Khatai !!

Or for another Gluten-free version with Ragi Flour(Ragi Chocolate Cookies).

Or, try these nutritious Gingerbread Cookies with Millets Flour and Jaggery by Poonam.

Other Christmas Cookies from the blog.. Eggless Chocolate Crinkles, Spitzbuben Cookies and how can I forget these Eggless Coconut Macaroons.

Try out these healthy Lemon Crinkle Cookies by Sujata Roy made with Cornmeal..

Or, gluten-free cookies with coconut flour by Renu.

One Basic Dough and 4 different Cookies

With so many cookies recipes all around, don't get confused, especially if you want to bake something for your family and are hard pressed on time. Just follow this simple basic cookie dough recipe and you will be sorted!! It has all the basic ingredients available at home. Moreover this cookie dough is gluten-free and made with nutritious flour from Almonds and Oats.

Here I am giving 4 basic cookies recipes but will link other too gradually as and whenever I make. I got around 32 cookies of medium size from 2 cups of flour and 1 Cup of butter.You can always make only one type of cookie with the recipe or divide the dough accordingly.

Basic Cookie Dough Ingredients and Method

Flour used--I have used Almond Flour and Powdered Rolled Oats for the flour mix. You can use Whole Wheat Flour instead of the above flours. or use a mix of all three in any proportion. Even you can use All Purpose Flour/Maida(or mixed with the above flours) but I avoid using it in cakes in cookies as it has no nutritional value. The texture of Cookie varies with the flour used in preparation.

Sweetener--Raw Cane Sugar as a sweetener .You can use coconut sugar or jaggery powder or a mix of brown sugar and castor also as a sweetener. But, the texture and color will be a bit different in that case. Also, the cookies will be on a bit chewier side as these sugar add moisture to cookies.

Fat-- Butter of Course as these are butter cookies! I never made these without butter. Also the characteristic taste of these cookies comes from butter so no substitute from my side.You can always try with any good plant based oil or even desi ghee if you want.

Let's make the Basic Cookie Dough

Powder Rolled Oats in a grinder. You can use your coffee grinder.

Sieve together Almond Flour and powdered Rolled Oats.

Cream together butter and sugar, till light and fluffy.

Fold in flour with butter sugar mix. Do not over mix the dough. Just get it together.

Now divide it into four equal parts for the variations.

You can make this dough 2-3 days ahead of making cookies and freeze or refrigerate it. Thaw the frozen dough in refrigerator 4-5 hrs before using it.

Variations for the basic Cookie Dough

Jeera Cookies

For Jeera Cookies, lightly roast 1 tbsp of Jeera/Cumin seeds. Lightly crush with rolling pin. Add to the dough and mix well.

Wrap the dough in a cling film or parchment paper and refrigerate for about 20-30 mins.

One ready to make, lightly roll the dough on a clean counter or surface. Cut into desired pieces, arrange on baking tray and again refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

Bake for 10-112 mins in pre-heated oven for 12-15 mins.

Roasted Cashew Cardamom Cookies

Roast Cashews till light brown, then finely chop when cool.

Mix finely chopped cashews and cardamom powder in dough. Refrigerate for 20-30 mins.

You can cut into desired shape and pieces or divide the dough into equal portions. Make balls arrange on baking tray, press with fork and refrigerate for about 10-15 mins.

Bake for 10-112 mins in pre-heated oven for 12-15 mins.

Instead of Cashew you can add any nuts of your choice like Walnuts, Pistachios. Cardamom Powder can be substituted with Thandai Powder or any of your favorite spice mix like pumpkin spice.

Jam Thumbprints

For Jam Thumbprints, I have used my homemade Mixed Fruit Preserve(recipe coming soon).

Add 1 tsp of Vanilla Essence in dough. add 1 tbsp of either of the flour and mix lightly.

Divide dough into small portions, roll each portion into a lemon sized ball. Arrange on a baking tray.

Make indent using thumb (hence the name thumbprint!!).Add some jam in the indent created. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes.

Bake for 15 mins in pre-heated oven at 325°F or 170°C for 12-15 mins.

Use any Jam or fruit preserve like Raspberry Jam or Orange Marmalade with Jaggery.

Sprinkle Cookies

Add 1 tsp of Vanilla Essence in dough. Add 1 tbsp of either of the flour and mix lightly. Add sprinkles and mix the flour again very lightly. This optional. You can add just a pinch of Vanilla Bean Paste also, then no need to add flour.

Refrigerate the dough wrapped in a cling film or parchment paper.

When ready to bake, roll out the dough. Roll out the dough and cut into desired shape using cookie cutter. Arrange on baking tray and refrigerate again for 10-15 mins.

Bake for 15 mins in pre-heated oven at 325°F or 170°C for 12-15 mins.

Christmas Treats

It's Christmas time and the theme this Monday on our facebook Foodie Monday Blog Hop group, is #ChristmasTreats, where the participating bloggers have dished out special treats for Christmas. This wonderful and time perfect theme was suggested by very talented Mayuri Patel who blogs at Mayuri's Jikoni. She is into food blogging since so many years. There is so much to learn from her! Her blog is a wonderful collection of not only recipes from Indian and International cuisine but all so of so many beautiful memories with her family, friends that she has documented!! Do visit her space to explore more!

Her no bake no cook Nutella and Oreo Truffle balls are wonderful easy peasy treats. You can make in jiffy pack it in beautiful decorative gift boxes and gift or treat your kids just for fun!

Looking for other sweet treats for the coming festivities, check out these delicious Classic Brownies , or brownies with egg or without egg, or these Eggless Blondies that you can serve or gift to your loved ones.

Do try these Cookie variations and if you make some different variations do give me your feedback.

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