Ingredients

2 cup(s) (4 sticks) butter, softened

1 1/2 cup(s) sugar

2 eggs

3 egg yolks

2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

5 cup(s) flour

1 teaspoon(s) salt

1 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon(s) ground allspice

Preparation

  1. Beat the butter, using a mixer on medium-high speed. Beat in the sugar, eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to medium-low and beat in the remaining ingredients. If tinting dough, add food coloring.
  2. For chocolate dough, reduce flour to 4 1/2 cups and add 2/3 cup cocoa. For hand-formed cookies, transfer to an airtight container. For rolled and cut cookies, divide dough in half, form into 1-inch-thick slabs, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. For sliced cookies, use parchment paper to roll dough into logs.
  3. Chill dough at least 2 hours. And chill formed cookies 20 minutes before baking at 350 degrees F on parchment-lined baking pans 10 to 15 minutes, depending on cookie size. For tinted-dough cookies, reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake 12 to 18 minutes.