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Christmas Cookie Recipes: 15 Easy Festive Holiday Baking Ideas

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A collection of 15 classic and creative Christmas cookie recipes perfect for holiday parties, gifting, and cozy nights in. These cookies blend tradition with modern ease, using simple pantry ingredients and festive flavors for crowd-pleasing results.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Unsalted butter, softened
  • Granulated sugar
  • Large eggs, room temperature
  • Pure vanilla extract
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Powdered sugar
  • Milk (dairy or non-dairy)
  • Assorted sprinkles and colored sugars
  • Dark brown sugar
  • Molasses
  • Ground ginger
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground cloves
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Baking soda
  • Creamy peanut butter
  • Brown sugar
  • Hershey’s Kisses or chocolate drops
  • Cornstarch
  • Finely chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
  • Cocoa powder
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • Peppermint extract
  • Crushed candy canes
  • Egg yolks
  • Fruit jam (raspberry, apricot, strawberry)
  • Almond extract
  • Lemon zest
  • Food coloring gel
  • Dried cranberries or cherries
  • White chocolate chips
  • Gluten-free flour blend (optional)

Instructions

  1. Measure out all ingredients and set eggs and butter out to reach room temperature (20-30 minutes).
  2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in vanilla and any extracts or zest.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices as needed. Gradually add to wet mixture, blending until just combined.
  4. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for 1–2 hours if making cut-out cookies or recipes with a lot of butter. For quick cookies, skip chilling.
  5. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  6. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness for cut-outs and use cookie cutters. For drop cookies, scoop 1 tbsp rounds. For thumbprints, roll into balls and press a thumbprint in the center.
  7. Add fillings or toppings: fill thumbprints with jam, sprinkle colored sugar on sugar cookies, press a chocolate kiss into peanut butter blossoms after baking, or roll snowballs in powdered sugar.
  8. Bake cookies for 8–12 minutes, depending on recipe and size. Rotate sheets halfway for even baking.
  9. Transfer cookies to wire racks immediately to cool. Let icing set for 30 minutes before stacking or decorating further.
  10. Mix icing (1 cup powdered sugar + 2–3 tsp milk). Spread or pipe onto cookies, add sprinkles, candies, or colored sugar.
  11. Once completely cool, layer cookies in airtight tins with parchment between layers. Store at room temperature for 5–7 days or freeze for several months.

Notes

Chill dough for best shape and texture. Use room temperature ingredients for smoother mixing. Rotate baking sheets for even browning. Decorate cookies only after they are completely cool. Adapt recipes for gluten-free or vegan diets by swapping flour and butter. Store cookies with a slice of bread to keep them soft.

Nutrition

Keywords: Christmas cookies, holiday baking, festive cookies, sugar cookies, gingerbread, peanut butter blossoms, shortbread, jam thumbprints, chocolate cookies, easy cookie recipes

Find it online: https://norasfoods.com/christmas-cookie-recipes-15-easy-festive-holiday-baking-ideas/