This fun holiday sheet by Pillsbury was published in 1973 and includes a recipe for molding dough that you can use for cookies, tarts and decorations. The other side of the sheet shows how to make various shaped cookies using cookie cutters and by hand molding. Neat stuff! The sheet is typed out in full below along with scans of the recipe sheet (the first cover sheet is clickable if you’d like to view a larger copy).

Shape it Easy Molding Dough
Shape and make cookies, tarts, decorations

Molding Dough
2 DOZEN 2 1/2″ x 1/4″ COOKIES

OVEN 350°

3-ounce package CREAM CHEESE, completely softened*
1/2 cup BUTTER or MARGARINE, completely softened*
1/2 cup firmly packed BROWN SUGAR
1/2 teaspoon SALT
1 teaspoon VANILLA, ALMOND, RUM, or PEPPERMINT FLAVORING

COMBINE ingredients in large bowl.
STIR by hand until well blended

1 2/3 cups PILLSBURY’S BEST UNBLEACHED or ALL PURPOSE FLOUR**

LIGHTLY SPOON flour into measuring cup; level off.

ADD to cream cheese mixture, stirring by hand until dough forms a ball.

KNEAD in bowl or on floured surface, 1 to 2 minutes, adding additional flour until smooth, pliable, and not sticky. (Dough is easier to shape the more it is handled.)

SHAPE on ungreased cookie sheets following suggested ideas.

BAKE at 350° until edges are light brown: thin shapes — 10 to 15 minutes; thick shapes — 15 to 22 minutes.

COOL 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Store cooled cookies and unfilled tarts loosely covered. Refrigerate leftover dough up to 2 weeks; return to room temperature before using again.

*Tip: Cream cheese and butter or margarine may be softened using an electric mixer.

**Self-Rising flour not recommended.

HIGH ALTITUDE — 5200 Feet. NO CHANGE.

SHAPING*DECORATING*VARIATIONS

Decorate unbaked cut-outs or original shapes with pieces of dough, moistening dough with water before attaching pieces. Make “hair” by pushing dough through garlic press. All unbaked shapes may be decorated with any of the following (always press firmly into dough): chocolate pieces or sprinkles, nuts, raisins, cinnamon candies or colored sugars.

Decorate baked cookies with PILLSBURY DECORATOR ICING or PILLSBURY READY-TO-SPREAD FROSTING (spread frosting on cookies easily with small paint brush).

To hang cookies, use the end of a SODA STRAW, cutting out small hole near top of unbaked cookie. After baking and cooling insert ribbon or string through hole to hang.

COLORED DOUGH: Add 3/4 to 1 teaspoon FOOD COLORING to cream cheese mixture before adding flour. For two color cookies, make one recipe each of plain and colored dough.

GINGERBREAD DOUGH: Eliminate FLAVORING; add 1 tablespoon MOLASSES, 1/4 teaspoon CINNAMON, 1/8 teaspoon each ground CLOVES and GINGER.

CUT-OUT COOKIES

Roll or press out dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough with cookie cutters or your own cardboard patterns: draw desired pattern onto heavy cardboard; cut out, place on dough, and cut around edge with tip of knife. BAKE 10 to 15 minutes.

ANGELS — cut dough into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Cut a triangle from both sides of cookie. Invert triangles to form “wings”. Press firmly to seal.

REINDEER — cut dough into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Cut off two sides of circle to form triangle shape. Place the two curved pieces on either side of the wide end of triangle for “antlers”. Press firmly to seal (Slash curved pieces and spread to form “antlers.”)

CHRISTMAS TREES — cut dough into 2 1/2-inch rounds. Cut off two sides of circle to form triangle shape. Cut curved pieces into 1/8-inch strips and criss-cross over tree. Use a short piece for trunk. Press firmly to seal.

HAND-MOLDED COOKIES

CHRISTMAS STOCKINGS — shape 2 tablespoons dough into 1/2″ thick stocking. Print names or initials in dough with toothpick. Make patterns in dough using bottle caps, pastry wheel, spoon, can opener, etc. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes.

PARTRIDGES AND PEARS – PEARS: shape 2 tablespoons dough into a 1/2″ thick pear; insert a whole CLOVE into each end for the stem and blossom. PARTRIDGES: shape 2 tablespoons dough into a 1/2″ thick partridge; insert a whole CLOVE or CINNAMON CANDY for eye; prick with fork to make speckled breast. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes.

JACK HORNER PIES — shape 1 heaping tablespoon dough into thin circle on cookie sheet; place 1 tablespoon PREPARED PIE FILLING or JAM on center of circle. Top with another circle of dough; press edges with fingers or fork to seal. Print names or initials into top of pie with toothpick. Sprinkle with SUGAR. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes.

LETTERS — shape dough into 1/2″ thick ropes; form into letters; press pieces firmly together. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes.

BELL — shape 1 tablespoon dough into 1/2″ thick rope; form into bell; press pieces firmly together. Place a small ball of dough at bottom of bell. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes.

TURTLE — for body, fill a tablespoon with dough; level off with spatula and invert onto cookie sheet. For head, firmly press a small ball of dough into one end of the body. For feet, firmly press PECAN HALVES into the body. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes.

HOLIDAY FAVORITES

TARTS — press dough into metal tart pans or over bottoms of muffin cups to form a thin shell. BAKE 10 to 15 minutes; cool thoroughly. Just before serving, fill shells with PUDDING or PREPARED PIE FILLING. Top with WHIPPED CREAM and, if desired, a MARASCHINO CHERRY or chopped NUTS. Refrigerate.

BUTTER CRESCENTS — use BUTTER when making basic dough. Shape 1 heaping teaspoon dough into crescent; place on ungreased cookie sheet. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes; cool 5 minutes. Roll cookies in POWDERED SUGAR.

JAM THUMBPRINTS — shape 1 heaping teaspoon dough into ball; dip into slightly beaten EGG WHITE, then into chopped PECANS. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press deep hole into center of each cookie with thumb or finger; fill with 1/2 teaspoon JAM. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes.

SUGARPLUMS — flatten out 1 tablespoon dough; wrap around a DATE, CANDIED FRUIT PIECE, PECAN, CHOCOLATE COVERED PEANUT, or 1/2 teaspoon RAISINS. Seal securely. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes. Top with a swirl of PILLSBURY READY-TO-SPREAD FROSTING or PILLSBURY DECORATOR ICING.

CANDIED FRUIT BALLS — shape 1 heaping teaspoon dough into ball; roll in granulated SUGAR or COCONUT. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press a CANDIED FRUIT piece firmly into center of each. BAKE 12 to 18 minutes.