A treasure from our Holiday Best 1999 special publication, one single dough recipe allows you to make as many as 7 different cookies and squares as you like to share with family and friends. Find a new favourite below or make a stellar cookie collection seen at left all made from one basic recipe.

Basic recipe: Sugar Cookie Dough
3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
1/4 tsp (1 mL) almond extract or peppermint extract, (optional)
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder

Preparation:
In bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. If making Slice and Bake Angels, add almond extract; if making Two-Tone Twisters, add peppermint extract.

Stir flour with baking powder. Stir into butter mixture in 2 additions.
Divide dough in half; flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chilled, (Make ahead: Refirigerate dough for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 weeks.)

Cookies and squares made with Sugar Cookie Dough above:
Two-Tone Twister Cookies
Candy cane-striped peppermint cookies in a variety of shapes add fun and flair to the platter.

Slice and Bake Angels
Sweet and festive — that's all anyone could ask of a Christmas angel. But when they are delicious, too, you'll have a hard time trying to save them for the tree.

Circus Spirals
Crunchy and colourful, these swirls make a pretty addition to the cookie platter.

Holiday Cutouts
Gather the kids — young and old — to bake up some treats. Encourage imaginations to run wild with the shapes and decorations, then sit back and watch all the creativity.

Snowball Cookies
These white cookies are truly pop-in-your-mouth delicious. If you like, roll them in more icing sugar for a thicker coat.

Caramel Pecan Cookie Bars
With a crunchy top and too-good-to-be-true shortbread base, these buttery bars are guaranteed to become a part of your traditional Christmas repertoire.

Stained Glass Christmas Tree Cookies
With the glorious colours of stained-glass windows, these cookies look beautiful when hung with ribbon as decorations.

This article is part of Canadian Living's 60-Day Holiday Countdown. For more inspiring holiday ideas, check out our 60-Day Holiday Countdown calendar and our 60-Day holiday giveaway contest. Sign up for our free 60-Day Holiday Countdown e-newsletter to have the daily prize and tip delivered right to your inbox!