Holiday Cookie Recipes & Ideas
All you need are two different-colored doughs, a rolling pin, and a knife. Form one dough ball into a log, then wrap the rolled-out colored dough around it, chill, slice into cookies, and bake.
Checkerboard Cookies
To create marbled cookies, shape vanilla and chocolate dough into ropes. Twist together for a swirled effect. Chill, slice, and bake.
Springerle Cookies
Bavarian cookies called springerle are known for their distinctive flavor. The dough is rolled onto a floured surface, imprinted with clean, floured rubber stamps, dried overnight, and then baked.
Chocolate-Kissed Cookie
To add a candy kiss, place unwrapped candy on cookie rounds while they are still warm from the oven. Return to oven for 30 seconds and sprinkle the softened kisses with silver dragees.
Make delectable cookies completely irresistible with the addition of just a few rich details. Dip Pecan Butter Cookies in melted dark chocolate; dress up Spitzbuebe with powdered sugar; or add a sparkly veil of granulated sugar to Chocolate Spice Cookies.
Add fresh rosemary to sugar cookies to create a jam-filled cookie with bite.
This versatile dough allows the baker's creativity to shine through, and because it offers a deeper flavor than typical sugar cookie dough, the finished cookies needn't be covered with sugary icing.
Happy Gingerbread Men
Bake only if you have the time to truly enjoy it. Dress up homemade or store-bought gingerbread men with pieces of taffeta ribbon or frosting "rickrack" to make them even more appealing.
Chocolate chip cookies and milk are a match made in heaven.
Coffee-Cream Sandwich Cookies
Cookies let us make gracious gestures all through the holiday season. The key is to present them in the most memorable ways. For example, tie them up with pretty ribbon into appetizing little bundles, as we did here to hand out as party favors.
To minimize the time spent re-rolling scraps, use two similarly shaped but different-size cutters to create these three very distinct cookies. First cut out larger round cookies, then cut again using a smaller cutter to make rings and mini rounds. Decorate with sanding sugar or nonpareils; countrykitchensa.com.
Chocolate-Dipped Cookies
Use melted chocolate chips. Reheat as needed to maintain a smooth consistency for dipping and piping.
To dip, fill a small dish to half the height of the cookie's diameter. Dip, drip off excess, and let set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Spitzbuebe Cookies
To save time when making these delicious cookies, substitute ready-made refrigerated cookie dough and skip the recipe's first step.
Make certain flavor and texture hit their mark by always using fresh, quality ingredients. For example, choose chocolate, nuts, and candies that both taste and look good on their own. And be sure spices, whose pungency dissipates with time, are kept for no longer than six months.
Red Sugar Dome Cookies
Shape 1 1/2 tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. For pink, tint dough with red food coloring. Roll balls to coat in decorations. Choose one or a mix of sugars, nonpareils, dragées, or seeds such as anise, poppy, or sesame. Chill for 20 minutes and bake for 20 minutes.
Linzer-Style Tree Cookies
For Linzer-Style Tree cookies, spread red currant, strawberry, or raspberry jelly or preserves on the bottom cookie so the color peeks through the top cookie's tree-shaped opening
Cocoa, added to the dough, and white-chocolate icing transform plain sugar cookies into edible place-card holders.
Use melted chocolate chips. Reheat as needed to maintain a smooth consistency for dipping and piping. To pipe, clip a small hole in the tip of a disposable pastry bag half-filled with melted chocolate.
Holiday Blondies
Simple ingredients applied with some imagination ensure any cookie is up to the occasion: Puffed cereal, sweetened with caramel, turns an everyday blondie into a memorable treat worthy for a present — or presentation.
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Use melted chocolate chips. Reheat as needed to maintain a smooth consistency for dipping and piping.
To fill sandwiches, pour 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate on base cookie and top with another.
Ginger Crisps
Perfect for the holidays, this recipe will yield plenty of cookies, which you may need for large family gatherings.
Sugar-Dusted Star Cookies
Place a stencil on the cookie and dust with confectioners' sugar or cocoa.
As easy to make as they are delicious, you'll find these cookies ideal as party fare, gifts, and simple desserts. Wrap these cookies in paper and tie with ribbon for an elegant presentation.
To make these cookies, you won't need much beyond good dark chocolate, food coloring, decorative toppings, and a few cookie cutters that are probably already in your baking arsenal. These low-fuss cookies don't require icing, so let the artist in you come out. Liberally apply tantalizing dragees, sparkling sugars, and colorful sprinkles to customize each cookie.
Jelly Sandwich Sugar Cookies
Heat, then strain, preserves, or use jelly for a clear, gemlike effect. Slightly cool for smoothest application.
Add sugar, nonpareils, or dragees before baking; gently press into dough to help adhere.
Spread a thin layer of jelly on the base cookie and on the back of the top cutout cookie. Lightly press the cookies together.
The fanciful, delicate designs cut into the bottoms of a vintage glassware set are used to create a unique raised pattern atop each cookie. After cutting out cookies, just press down on the dough with a glass bottom to emboss a sunburst or a floral shape. A dusting of sparkling sugar helps to highlight the raised designs.
Gently roll each color separately into ropes on a flat, lightly floured surface using the palm of your hand for best results. Brush off excess flour with a dry pastry brush before twisting the two colored ropes together. Chill 20 minutes before baking to help the cookies maintain their shape.
Form dough into two 1/4-inch-thick logs. Wrap with waxed or parchment paper and twist the ends to seal. Chill thoroughly before cutting into scant 3/4-inch slices.
Stars can be made with tiny star cutters. Visit wilton.com for a variety of cookie cutter options.
Extend cookies' versatility and send them as this season's greeting cards. Pack each cookie card in an attractively designed, durable box that can remain a keepsake long after the sweet treat has been savored. Present these cards to those who live or work nearby, since they require hand delivery.
Cardamom, often called the vanilla of India, makes these cookies special.
Little Man Sugar Cookies
Form dough into two 1/4-inch-thick logs. Wrap with waxed or parchment paper and twist the ends to seal. Chill thoroughly before cutting into scant 3/4-inch slices.
Roll dough out to 1/4-inch thickness in a color different from that of the log's and punch out shapes with mini holiday cutters. Center the cutout on top of each sliced cookie round and bake.
This crowd-pleasing cookie dough can be made ahead and frozen. Simply shape dough into a log before freezing. Then thaw, slice, and bake.
Form dough ropes about 1/3-inch thick. Knead dough so it is pliable, but avoid allowing it to become too warm. Form pretzel shapes: Hold the ends of a 10 1/2-inch rope, cross the ends to form a loop, twist the ends once, bring the ends to join the loop, and press to adhere.
Lemon Meringue Cookies
For formal parties, an antique compote or crystal punch bowl displays your most special sweets to spectacular effect. Our meringue cookies tinted with edible sparkling dust emulate the shape and glow of vintage ornaments.
Molasses Cookies
We top our moist Molasses Cookies with a light layer of lemony frosting.
Caramel Thumbprints
Baking projects yield the best results when you plan ahead. Before baking begins, assemble all your ingredients and equipment. Organize the kitchen well, too. Set up three work areas: one for mixing dough, another for forming and finishing cookies, and a third for packaging. Doing so will contain messier work and prevent mistakes.
Sugar Cookie Star Trees
When they are as pretty to look at as they are pleasing to eat, cookies are indispensable for entertaining. Dangle simple sugar cookies from miniature trees to invite visitors to help themselves.
Anise Sparkle Dome Cookies
Shape 1 1/2 tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Roll balls to coat in decorations. Choose one or a mix of sugars, nonpareils, dragees, or seeds such as anise, poppy, or sesame. Chill for 20 minutes and bake for 20 minutes.
Pink Sparkle Dome Cookie
Shape 1 1/2 tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. For pink, tint dough with red food coloring. Roll balls to coat in decorations. Choose one or a mix of sugars, nonpareils, dragees, or seeds such as anise, poppy, or sesame. Chill for 20 minutes and bake for 20 minutes.
Spritz Cookies
As easy to make as they are delicious, you'll find these cookies ideal as party fare, gifts, and simple desserts.
As their baking aromas fill the air and buttery flavors satisfy, this season's cookies will foster fond memories for years to come.
