There is nothing better than a foolproof cookie recipe that allows for lots of variations. Meet the Butter Cookie.

Ok, butter cookies may not be a regular menu option, but traditions are traditions, and we've been loving this versatile cookie dough since it was first shared in Gourmet magazine's December 1995 issue- you read that right, 1995, and we've yet to find a recipe that's better. It's the only dough you'll need to make a host of different variations like Chocolate Dipped Coconut Sticks, Mocha Butter Balls, Fiery Mexican Chocolate Shortbread, and Raspberry Hazelnut Triangles. If you're going to eat cookies, these are the ones to eat!

Basic Butter Cookie Dough Ingredients: This makes enough for two variations. 1 pound (4 sticks) of unsalted butter, softened 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 3/4 teaspoon salt 3 large egg yolks 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 4 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

 Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. In the large bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
3. Add the vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in flour gradually, beating dough until just combined well.
4. Remove dough from bowl and divide into equal halves. Wrap each half in waxed paper and chill in the fridge until needed. This recipe will yield approximately 3 pounds of dough, or enough to make 2 different cookie variations.
5. If you're rolling these cookies out to shape them, work with half a disk at a time on a well-floured surface. Because of the high butter content, it's important that the dough remain well-chilled while you're working with it. Roll scraps into a ball and chill, then roll again. Once they're rolled out, it's a good idea to put them back in the fridge on the cookie sheet for a few minutes just before baking- that way they'll hold their shapes while cooking.
6. Roll dough out to 1/4" thickness, cut into shapes, and place on the center rack of preheated oven until they're pale golden- about 12 minutes.
7. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

This basic butter cookie dough lends itself to all sorts of delicious variations. Here are a few of our favorites... 

Toasted Coconut Chocolate Sticks: (see image above)

• 2 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled
• 1/2 prepared basic butter cookie dough at room temperature (recipe above)
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, or dark chocolate bar

 Another favorite variation from the original Gourmet recipe, the raspberry jam and crunchy nuts offsets the rich butter dough perfectly!

• 1/2 prepared basic butter cookie dough, at room temperature (recipe above)
• 1/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

1. Roll out dough between sheets of wax paper into an approximately 14-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick, and remove top sheet of paper.
2. Spread dough with jam and sprinkle with nuts. With a long-bladed knife cut dough into 2-inch squares and halve each square diagonally to form triangles. If dough becomes too soft to work with, transfer it on wax paper to a baking sheet and freeze or chill until firm.
3. Arrange triangles 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven until pale golden, about 12 minutes.
4. Cool cookies on baking sheets 5 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely. Cookies may be stored between layers of wax paper in airtight containers up to 6 weeks frozen.