4 Shortcrust Pastry Recipes with a Single Dough Base for Christmas Cookies: Christmas is the sweetest time of the year, but also the most hectic. Making homemade cookies is one of the traditions that gets us into the Christmas spirit, but who has time to make so many different doughs? These days, I found the perfect solution: a single base dough to create four versions of Christmas shortcrust pastry! Inspired by my favorite recipe of Befanini Cookies, which you can find here on my blog.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 30
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, Epiphany
- Energy 261.21 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 40.50 (g) of which sugars 14.80 (g)
- Proteins 4.40 (g)
- Fat 10.44 (g) of which saturated 6.26 (g)of which unsaturated 3.29 (g)
- Fibers 1.43 (g)
- Sodium 32.55 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 17 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
This Christmas Shortcrust Pastry is the perfect base to create festive cookies in four delicious variations. From classic to cocoa, each version adds a special touch to make your Christmas table even more magical.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg (large)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (for desserts)
- 1.6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (for desserts)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips (dark)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence (recommend orange zest)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder (for desserts)
- 1/4 cup candied fruit
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup butter (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Steps
Start by preparing the base dough by mixing flour, butter, sugar, egg, and a pinch of salt. Then, customize it with the chosen variations, such as chocolate chips, candied fruit, or cocoa, before shaping the cookies and baking them in the oven. Add the chosen variant to each dough.
In a large bowl, mix the flour with a pinch of salt. Add the butter in small pieces and work with your hands until you get a sandy mixture.
Combine the sugar, egg, baking powder, and chosen essence, mix until you form a homogeneous dough.
Let it rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before use.
Repeat the base process for each variant.Prepare the variations:
Classic white: Leave the dough as it is, without adding anything.
Or:
With chocolate chips: Add 50g of chocolate chips and mix until they are evenly distributed in the dough.
With candied fruit: Incorporate 50g of candied fruit and mix well.
With cocoa: Add 50g of sifted unsweetened cocoa along with 200g of all-purpose flour and, if necessary, a bit more butter (about 20g) to achieve a soft and workable dough.Roll out each dough on a floured surface until it reaches a thickness of about a quarter inch.
Use Christmas cookie cutters to cut out the cookies.Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.
For this recipe, it is possible to make a single dough to divide into four parts, then adding the specific ingredients for each type. However, since cocoa requires a different amount of flour to achieve the ideal consistency (otherwise, it would be too hard), I prefer to proceed as indicated above.
If you prefer to make a single dough, you can use these quantities:
4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups of butter
1 1/3 cups of sugar
4 large eggs
Vanilla essence
2 packets of baking powder for desserts
then divide into four parts and continue with the ingredients for each type.
Storage: Cookies made with Christmas Shortcrust Pastry can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4-5 days. If you prefer to store them longer, you can also place them in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Tips:
If the dough becomes too soft during preparation, add a bit more flour, but be careful not to overdo it.
For even baking, ensure that the cookies are of similar size and well-spaced on the baking sheet.
Notes:
If you want a more crumbly shortcrust pastry, you can replace part of the butter with cold butter.
The chocolate chip and candied fruit variations are perfect to enhance the flavor and appearance of your Christmas cookies.
4 Shortcrust Pastry Recipes with a Single Dough Base for Christmas Cookies
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can I freeze the dough for later use?
Yes, the dough can be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 2 months. When you want to use it, let it thaw in the refrigerator for a few hours before rolling it out.
How long can the dough be kept in the fridge?
The shortcrust pastry dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days. Make sure to wrap it well with plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to prevent it from absorbing odors from the fridge. Before rolling and working it, let it rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften it slightly.
