Holiday Butter Cookies Recipe by Baking The Goods

Directions

1. Make the dough. This dough will be used to make four different cookie shapes. With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add one egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat for about a minute. Stop the mixer once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the flour and salt. Mix on low speed, just until the flour has been absorbed.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, gather the dough into a disk, then divide dough into 4 equal pieces and form 3 of the pieces into disks. Wrap the 3 disks separately in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. 
5. Make a dozen ring cookies. Transfer the remaining quarter of the cookie dough into a pastry bag fitted with a #825 (7/16”) open star pastry tip. On a lined baking sheet, pipe horseshoe shaped rings, about 1 ½” in diameter. If you mess up, you can always transfer the dough back into the pastry bag and try again. Place the sheet of cookies in the freezer to chill.
6. Prepare dough to make a dozen round coconut cookies. Remove a dough disk from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured work surface. Keep an empty paper towel roll nearby. Use your hands to shape a rough log shape. Roll into a smooth log until it is about 1 -1 ½” in diameter (eyeball it to about the size of your empty paper towel roll) by about 6” long. Roll a sheet of parchment paper around your dough log, lengthwise. Then twist each end of the paper into pigtails. Gently roll from the center outward until you feel that you have a perfectly smooth, cylindrical log. Carefully slide the dough log into the empty paper towel roll. This will help dough hold its cylindrical shape while it chills. Place the paper towel roll with the dough log inside into the refrigerator or freezer to firm up.
7. Prepare dough to make a dozen rectangle cookies. Remove a dough disk from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured work surface. Use your hands to shape a rough log, then pat the log into a rectangular shape, squaring off the edges. Press into the counter to square off the edges and turn the log ¼ turn (instead of rolling) patting gently on the top to create even sides. Keep rotating and patting until the log is rectangular, about 1” x ¾” tall and 6” long. Wrap in parchment paper as you did with the round log. Place in the refrigerator or freezer to firm up.
8. Make a dozen pretzel cookies.
   
   Note - the pretzel cookies are more difficult to shape. It’s all about getting the right temperature. If the dough is too cold, it will tear. If it’s too warm, it’ll stick and squish. You may need to stop and refrigerate the dough a couple of times during the shaping process. That said, they are fun to shape once you’re in a rhythm, and you can always ball the dough back up and try again. Remove a dough disk from the refrigerator, unwrap and place on a lightly floured work surface. Slice off a hunk of the dough and roll into a small log about ¼” thick by 6”-7” long. The dough should be pliable but not sticky. Fold the log into a ribbon shape, with the ends crossed at the bottom. Gently grab the loop of the ribbon at the top and fold it down over the ends to create a quick pretzel shape. Transfer the shaped cookie to a lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, working in batches and shaping a few pretzel cookies at a time. If the dough logs feel too warm or delicate to shape, chill on a lined baking sheet in the refrigerator for a few minutes before shaping the rest of the pretzel cookies. When done, place the cookies on the lined baking sheet in the freezer to chill.
9. Slice, decorate, chill, and bake.  Remove the round cookie log from the freezer and unroll it onto a cutting board. Use a pastry brush to gently brush with the egg wash on all sides of the log. Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the egg washed edges, all the way around the exterior.
10. Using a sharp knife, slice the Round Cookie log into about ½” thick cookies. Roll the log ¼ turn between slices to keep it from flattening out on one side. Place the cookies closely together on a lined baking sheet.
11. Remove the Rectangle Cookie log from the freezer and unroll on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into about ½” thick cookies. Turn the log ¼ turn between slices to keep the edges squared. Place on the same lined baking sheet as the Round Coconut Cookies. Allow all cookie shapes to chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange 12 frozen cookies on separate lined baking sheets at least 2” apart. Just before baking, make an egg wash by combining the remaining egg and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Whisk until blended. Brush the tops of the Rectangle and Pretzel Cookies with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
13. Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges start to turn a light golden brown. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and allow to cool to room temperature. For additional recipe notes and pro tips, visit the original recipe here.