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Basic Cookie Dough Recipe

This cookie dough recipe is so versatile, it covers three different sweet treat cravings! Once you whip up the dough, using all purpose flour, vanilla extract, butter and sugar, it’s easy to customize. From sweet sugar cookies, to white chocolate and lemon-flavored or slice and bake cookies, this one recipe makes it easy to personalize and please all of your friends and family!

Prep20 min
Total Time40 min
Skill LevelBeginner

Amount2 dozen

Ingredients & Tools
Instructions

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Wilton Jimmies, Nonpareil Sprinkles, or Sanding Sugar

Supplies
Recipe Right Non-Stick Cookie Sheet

Instructions

Click to mark complete

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare cookie pan with parchment paper.
In medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat until combined.
Roll dough into 1-1/2 in. balls and roll in sprinkles or sanding sugar. For best results, roll cookie dough in sprinkles immediately after shaping. Place 2 in. apart on prepared cookie pan.
Bake 14-16 minutes or until centers of cookies are semi-firm to the touch. Cool cookies on pan on cooling grid 2 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling grid; cool completely.
To make Slice and Bake cookies: Prepare dough as directed. Divide into two portions; form each into a log about 1-1/2 in. in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. When dough is firm, lightly brush outside of log with an egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water and roll in Wilton sparkling sugar. Slice into 1/2 in. thick cookies and bake as directed. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
To make White Chocolate and Lemon flavored cookies: Add 2 teaspoons lemon zest with the butter and sugar, and add 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips to the dough after adding flour mixture. Bake as directed. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Notes

Prep and total time listed is appropriate for the base recipe and Lemon White Chocolate variation. For the slice and bake cookies, the total time would be longer because it is refrigerated overnight.