The holiday season is known as a time for delicious food, and Christmas cookies are a staple. With so many varieties, there’s a cookie out there for everyone. Check out the recipes below to get some inspiration.

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• ½ cup white chocolate chips
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup red and green M&M’s

1. Combine flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk brown sugar, white sugar, melted butter.
3. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to sugar/butter mixture.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients, mix in chocolate chips and M&M’s.
5. Cover dough and chill for at least 3 hours.
6. Let dough thaw for approximately ten minutes.
7. Form dough into balls (roughly 2 tbsp), press more chocolate chips and M&M’s into tops for decorative effect if desired.
8. Bake at 325 degrees for 11-12 minutes.
9. Remove baking sheet from oven, cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes to finish cooking, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon mint extract
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
• ⅔ cup cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 28 unwrapped peppermint Hershey’s kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and both sugars with mixer. Add eggs one at a time and mix just until incorporated. Mix in mint extract.
3. Combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup dry mixture to butter mixture. Blending after each addition just until combined and scraping side of mixer bowl as needed. Remove bowl from mixer, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to overnight.
4. Butter hands and roll dough into 1 inch balls. Place on cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes only. Press one peppermint kiss into the top of each cookie. Move to cookie cooling racks being very careful not to the touch the kiss.

Butter Snowballs

    Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus more for rolling
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and powdered sugar until creamy.
2. Add the salt and vanilla (or almond) extract, and beat until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Add the flour and nuts and beat on low speed until combined.
4. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, until easy to handle.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
6. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden on the bottom.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes, then roll warm cookies in powdered sugar. Let cookies cool completely and then roll in powdered sugar a second time.

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 box Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. lemon zest (optional)
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. Cornstarch
• Hershey’s Kisses (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and cornstarch.  Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then added cooled melted butter, lemon zest and cake mix.  Mix by hand until combined.
3. Roll into 1-inch balls.  Roll each ball in the powdered sugar mixture then place on a prepared baking sheet about 2-inches apart.
4. Press Hershey’s Kiss into top of each cookie if desired.
5. Bake for 7-9 minutes until set.

FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES

    Ingredients – cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 cups flour

Ingredients – frosting

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 8 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
• Food coloring, optional
• Red and green sprinkles, optional

1. FOR THE COOKIES: Cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla & eggs. Mix until combined. Add the baking powder and flour and mix well.
2. Shape the dough into a circle/ball & wrap in saran wrap. Cool in the fridge overnight or for several hours.
3. Pre-heat your oven to  350 degrees. Roll out the dough on a floured surface. (I prefer them nice & thick about 1/2″ but anywhere between 1/4″ -1/2″ is good.)  Use a 3″- 3 1/2″ circle cookie cutter. Place circles on a parchment lined cookie sheet. (These cookies spread a little while baking, so they don’t do well when cut into other shapes)
4. Bake for 8-10 minutes (depending on the size of your circle) or until bottoms are a very light brown. Check at 8 minutes & DO NOT overcook or they will be dry. Take them out right when they are done and don’t look wet on top.
5. FOR THE FROSTING: Cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar, the milk, vanilla & almond extract. Beat till smooth and creamy. Add the remaining sugar, one cup at a time until desired consistency. Add food coloring if desired.
6. You can pipe the frosting on the cookies or use a knife. I piped it on, then smoothed the top with a knife.