[cookie recipes]

This really easy and versatile cookie recipe is from the Martha Stewart Holiday magazine. With one dough you can make 30 different types of cookies. I made 4 flavors and just made the basic cutout cookies.

Basic Vanilla Dough:

3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

If you'd like to make spice, citrus, or chocolate doughs see the recipe variations below:

Spice Dough:

(add to flour mixture)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Citrus Dough:                                                                    Replace vanilla extract with                                      1 teaspoon finely grated citrus zest and 1 tablespoon fresh citrus juice

Chocolate Dough:
Replace 1/3 cup flour with
1/3 cup cocoa powder

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffly. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and bead until combined. (Dough can be refrigerated overnight or frozen up to one month).

To bake these I used the cutout cookie recipe:

Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Roll out 1 disk on a lightly floured piece of parchment to a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Repeat with remaining disk. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut out desired shapes. Bake at 350 degrees until cookies are firm, 12 to 15 minutes.

*These cookies turn out crunchy...but the flavor is AMAZING.