Butter vs. Margarine 

Aside from taste and texture, butter and margarine act about the same when baking; so you can use either in recipes that don’t specifically call for butter. If choosing margarine, make sure to choose sticks that are at least 80 percent vegetable oil. But hold out for butter when you make sugar cookies, shortbread, pastry crusts, or candy that involves boiled syrup. 

Other Types of Butter 

Salted and unsalted butter can be used interchangeably for baking holiday cookies. When using unsalted butter, a little more salt may be required in the recipe. 

Avoid using light margarine, whipped margarine, or spreads in your holiday cookies. Their high water content and low fat content provide poor results.