Holiday Butter Cookie Box
This Holiday Butter Cookie Box features a versatile, rich butter cookie base that transforms into multiple festive variations—from chocolate-dipped shortbread to jam thumbprints—creating an elegant, personalized gift box of homemade treats perfect for holiday sharing.
Ingredients
For the Base Butter Cookie Dough
- 2 cups 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened but still cool to touch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
For Variations (choose 4-6 options)
- Chocolate-Dipped: 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Jam Thumbprints: ½ cup high-quality fruit preserves (raspberry or apricot work beautifully)
- Lemon Glazed: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Spiced Gingerbread: 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- Pistachio-Orange: ½ cup finely chopped pistachios, 1 tablespoon orange zest
- Chocolate Chip: ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- Almond Snowballs: ½ cup finely chopped almonds, 1 cup powdered sugar for coating
- Sprinkle Sugar Cookies: 1 egg white (for wash), ¼ cup colored sanding sugar or sprinkles
- Rosemary-Sea Salt: 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary, 1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
For Packaging
- Holiday cookie boxes or tins
- Parchment paper or decorative cupcake liners
- Decorative ribbon or twine
- Gift tags optional
Instructions
- Prepare the base dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently.
- Add the egg yolks and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. The mixture should look smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the flour with the mixer on low speed, about ½ cup at a time, mixing just until combined. Be careful not to overmix or your cookies will become tough.
- Divide the dough into portions depending on how many variations you plan to make. For 6 variations, divide into 6 equal portions (about 1 cup each).
- Customize each portion by gently folding in the mix-ins for your chosen variations. For spiced variations, knead the spices in gently; for add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts, fold them in carefully.
- Wrap each portion separately in plastic wrap, flattening into discs, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Shape your cookies according to the variation:- For cut-out cookies: Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness and use cookie cutters- For thumbprints: Roll 1-inch balls, make an indentation with your thumb- For slice-and-bake: Form dough into logs, chill thoroughly, slice into ¼-inch rounds- For snowballs: Form into 1-inch balls
- Arrange cookies on baking sheets with about 1½ inches between each cookie. They won’t spread much but need room for even baking.
- Bake in batches for 10-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the edges are just barely golden. The centers should still look slightly soft.
- Cool completely on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks.
- Apply finishes once cookies are fully cooled:- For chocolate-dipped: Melt chocolate with coconut oil, dip half of each cookie- For jam thumbprints: Fill indentations with preserves before baking- For glazed cookies: Mix powdered sugar with lemon juice, drizzle over cookies- For snowballs: Roll in powdered sugar while still warm, then again when cool
- Allow all decorations to set completely before packaging, at least 2 hours or overnight for chocolate-dipped varieties.
- Assemble your gift boxes by lining with parchment paper and carefully arranging different cookie varieties. Layer with additional parchment if stacking.
Notes
- This dough benefits from proper chilling—don’t skip this step! Cold dough creates the best texture and prevents spreading.
- For perfect gift packaging, allow cookies to cool completely before boxing to prevent condensation that could make them soggy.
- The base dough freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. You can make it well ahead of the holiday rush.
- To maintain freshness, store different varieties separately until ready to assemble gift boxes.
- For professional-looking cookies, try a double-dipping technique: dip in chocolate, let set, then dip tips in contrasting colored white chocolate.
- If you’re short on time, focus on 3 variations rather than trying all options—quality over quantity!