Chatelaine’s Claire Tansey shows us how to make traditional sugar cookies, plus over 25 ways to make the recipe your own!

Vanilla icebox sugar cookies

Prep 10 min

Total 30 min plus 1 hour chilling time

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup     unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Method:

– Stir flour with baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

– Beat butter with sugar in a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-

high, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture, just

until combined. Gather into a ball. Divide dough in half, then roll each portion into a 2-in.-wide log. Wrap logs in wax paper and twist ends. Chill until firm, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

– Position racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Preheat to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

– Slice cookies into 1/4-in. rounds and arrange 1 in. apart on prepared sheets. Bake in top and bottom thirds of oven, switching halfway through, until cookies are golden, 10 to 12 min. Let cookies cool on sheets for 1 min, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will keep well, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 5 days.

Makes 55–60 cookies

Make-Ahead Tip: Keep dough in freezer up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator overnight before using.

Courtesy Claire Tansey, www.chatelaine.com

Variations:

Candy Cane

Omit vanilla. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped candy canes to flour mixture.

Pistachio & Cranberry

Add 1/4 cup each finely chopped pistachios and dried cranberries to flour mixture.

Brown Sugar & Currant

Substitute 1/2 cup granulated sugar with brown sugar. Add 1/3 cup dried currants to flour mixture.

Chocolate Orange

Omit vanilla. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and 2 tbsp grated orange zest to flour mixture.

Mocha

Add 1/3 cup cocoa powder and 1 tbsp instant-coffee granules to flour mixture.

Maple Walnut

Omit vanilla. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts

to flour mixture. Add 1/4 cup maple syrup with egg.

Mint Chocolate Chip

Omit vanilla. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to flour mixture. Add 1/2 tsp peppermint extract and 3 to 5 drops green food colouring with egg.

Citrus Punch

Omit vanilla. Add 1 tbsp each grated orange, lemon and lime zest to flour mixture.

Candy Bar

Add 2 tbsp each chopped peanut butter chips and butterscotch chips, Skor bits and mini chocolate chips to flour mixture.

Candied Ginger

Omit vanilla. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger and 1/2 tsp ground ginger to flour mixture.

Wicked Chocolate

Add 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp cayenne to flour mixture.

Fruitcake

Omit vanilla. Add 3 tbsp each finely chopped red and green glacé cherries and candied orange and lemon peel and 1 tsp pumpkin-pie spice to flour mixture. Add 1 tsp rum extract with egg.

Glazed Cookies

Note: Let icing dry after brushing or drizzling over cookies, about 1 hour.

Maple Bacon

Omit vanilla. Add 1/2 cup finely chopped cooked bacon to flour mixture. Bake and cool cookies. Whisk 3 tbsp maple syrup with 1/4 cup icing sugar until smooth. Spoon into a zip-top freezer bag. Snip off 2 mm from a corner of bag. Drizzle icing over cookies.

Black & White

Bake a batch of Vanilla Icebox Sugar Cookies and cool completely. Melt a chopped 100-g pkg good-quality dark chocolate. Brush half of each cookie with melted chocolate. Let chocolate firm up, about 30 min.

Green Tea Latte

Omit vanilla. Add 1 tbsp matcha green tea powder to flour mixture. Chill, slice and bake cookies and cool completely. Whisk 1/2 cup icing sugar with 1/2 tsp matcha green tea powder and 1 tbsp milk until smooth. Lightly brush tops of cooled cookies with a thin layer of icing, covering the entire surface. Excess icing will drip through the racks.

Cinnamon Roll

Substitute 1/2 cup granulated sugar with brown sugar. Divide dough in half. Roll each portion into a 8 × 8-in. square. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon together in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of cinnamon mixture on each square. Spread to cover cookie dough, stopping 1/8 in. from the edge. Brush edge with water, then roll into a log. Press seam gently. Chill, slice, bake and cool cookies. Whisk 1/3 cup icing sugar with 1 tbsp milk until smooth. Spoon into a zip-top freezer bag. Snip off 2 mm from a corner of bag. Drizzle icing over cookies.

Birthday Cake

Add 1/2 cup coloured sprinkles to flour mixture. Bake and cool cookies. Whisk 1/2 cup icing sugar with 1 tbsp milk until smooth. Brush cookies with a thin layer of icing.

London Fog

Add 2 tbsp finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves (about 8 tea bags) and 1/4 tsp orange zest to flour mixture. Bake and cool cookies. Whisk 1/2 cup

icing sugar with 1 tbsp milk until smooth. Brush cookies with a thin layer of icing.

S’mores

Replace 1 cup flour with graham cracker crumbs. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to crumb mixture. Dough will be crumbly. Scoop out of mixing bowl and quickly roll into 1 log. Slice chilled dough 1/8 in thick. Bake in top and bottom thirds of oven, switching halfway through, until cookies are golden, 7 to 8 min. Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 min. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Sandwich 1 tbsp marshmallow fluff between 2 cookies. Repeat.

Chocolate & Cream

Replace 1/2 cup flour with cocoa powder. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to flour mixture. Slice chilled dough 1/8 in. thick. Bake in top and bottom thirds of oven, switching halfway through, until cookies are golden, 7 to 8 min. Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 min. Transfer to rack to cool completely. Beat 1 1/2 cup icing sugar with 1/2 cup room temperature butter and 1 tsp vanilla. Sandwich buttercream between 2 cookies. Repeat.

Coffee – Dulce De Leche

Add 2 tbsp instant-coffee granules to flour mixture. Roll into 1-in.-round balls and set on baking sheet. Make a deep indent in the centre of each ball. Bake in centre of oven until golden, 11 to 12 min. Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 min. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Pipe or spoon a dulce de leche dollop in centre of each cookie.

Nutella Kiss

Follow original recipe. Roll into 1-in.-round balls and set on baking sheet. Make a deep indent in the centre of each ball. Bake in centre of oven until golden, 11 to 12 min. Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 min. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Pipe or spoon a Nutella dollop in centre of each cookie.

Black Forest

Add 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips and 1/4 cup cocoa powder to flour mixture. Roll into 1-in.-round balls and set on baking sheet. Make a deep indent in the centre of each ball. Pat whole maraschino cherries dry with a paper towel. Press a maraschino cherry onto each cookie. Bake in centre of oven until golden, 11 to 12 min. Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 min. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Sift icing sugar over cookies.

Lemon Drop

Omit vanilla. Add 2 tbsp lemon zest to flour mixture. Roll into 1-in.-round balls and set on baking sheet. Make a deep indent in the centre of each ball. Bake in centre of oven until golden, 11 to 12 min. Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 min. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Sift icing sugar over cookies. Fill cookies with 1/2 tsp lemon curd.

Apricot Coconut

Omit vanilla. Add 1/3 cup fine, unsweetened coconut  to flour mixture. Add 1 tsp coconut flavoured extract to egg. Roll into 1-in.- round balls and set on baking sheet. Make a deep indent in the centre of each ball. Bake in centre of oven until golden, 11 to 12 min. Let cookies cool on sheet for 1 min. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Fill each cookie with 1/2 tsp apricot jam.