How To Make 5 Types of Cookies from 1 Recipe

If there is one thing I'm known for, it's cookies.

I could make chocolate chip cookies blindfolded. (Or at least, I'm fairly sure I could. I might chop a finger off while cutting up chocolate, but look, that's a risk I'm willing to take.) I love chocolate chip cookies and I'll do anything for them.

Obviously, if you make cookies enough, you've got to have a recipe that you love—a recipe that can stand up to anything you put in it. A recipe that is pretty much the same if you use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar or if you run out of brown sugar altogether and just add a few tablespoons of molasses to your dough to give it the same color and a close-enough caramel-y flavor (I have done this many times—why is it so hard to remember to buy brown sugar?).

I've made these cookies with almost everything: leftover candy bars, extra marshmallows, mixed nuts, white chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate-covered fruit, peanut butter chips… you name it. This is the granddaddy of cookie dough recipes. And I'm giving it to you because I care, and because Santa needs his cookies or he'll turn into Krampus and kill everyone you love.

So make some cookies this week. You've been warned.

Chocolate Chunk Sprinkle Cookies with Sea Salt These are the cookies that I make most often. People adore the sprinkles. Can you blame them? They're just so damn inviting. They make you feel young again, plus, they add a nice crunch to compliment the melty, gooey chocolate. I like to use a combination of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate. I love the contrasting bitter and sweet flavors. Give each cookie a swift dusting of sea salt, because sweet and salty are a foolproof combination, and I swear, people are going to be clamoring for these cookies. I have been asked to make these cookies more times than I can count, and let's be real: look at them. Don't you want me to make you a batch?

Candy Cane Cookies These are a seasonal speciality that I made just for your holiday needs. The important thing here is to realize that you're baking with candy. Candy is mostly just sugar. Candy melts. So make sure you go ahead and add a touch of extra flour to keep everything together. Also make sure that you crush your candy canes just right—too small, and they're turn to dust, but too big, and your friends might chip a tooth. If you're feeling extra fun and fancy free, go ahead and add some white chocolate chips to these bad boys.

White Chocolate Eggnog Cookies These are badass cookies. They have everything: booze, cinnamon, and white chocolate. Oh, and a sprinkle of raw sugar for crunch. Why not? Even if you don't love eggnog, I can assure you that you'll love these creamy, crispy cookies. They taste just like the real thing, minus the heaviness of the cream and (raw) egg yolks. You might even call these cookies a gateway drug to real eggnog, which some people think is gross but I think is incredibly delicious.

Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies I don't know when cranberries fell over from Thanksgiving and into Christmas, but I'm glad that they did. I love the tart little guys, and they pair beautifully with creamy white chocolate chips. I would highly recommend mixing up a batch of these cookies and taking them with you to your next holiday party. Aren't they festive-looking? They're guaranteed to disappear as quickly as you put them down.

Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies I don't bake with nuts as often as I'd like to, but with all the allergies out there nowadays, you're better safe than sorry. Having said that, if there's enough treats for the allergy-ridden, then maybe whip up some walnut chocolate chip cookies. The varying textures between the crunchy nuts, smooth chocolate, crispy exterior, and chewy interior make these a favorite of mine. You could even use peanuts instead of walnuts if you want to get a peanut butter thing going on in your cookies—but make sure you save one or two for yourself, because we all know how quickly peanut butter treats get eaten.