2 Easy Vanilla Christmas Cookies Recipes

'Twas the night before Halloween and all through the house (I know, I know ... I'm getting there) was a mad scramble through cupboards and pantries as my sister and I belatedly remembered that the kids had to bring cookies to school for their Halloween party. Poring over cookbooks and searching through supplies, we came up with a recipe and oh what a surprise! The dough was so thick, so creamy, so rich. The cookies took rolling, cookie-cuttering, and cooking as if they were a magical surprise.

Seriously, those cookies were too cool. Hard, the way most holiday cookies traditionally are, and perfectly easy to mold and shape with cookie cutters, the baked concoction wasn't flaky or messy ... it just sort of melted right in your mouth.

So I went on to experiment some more. The Christmas season is rapidly approaching and my daughter will be dying to cut out cookies for family and friends (not to mention Santa!) in no time at all. Since our first experiment with the recipe went so well, I decided to play with the details. Here are two versions of the same recipe that result in delicious but completely different cookies.

Candy Cane Christmas Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup butter or margarine (look for the low-fat kind)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 small eggs, beaten

1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups flour

2 candy canes, crushed

To make these cookies that have a burst of candy cane flavor, begin by beating the butter and powdered sugar together until it is very fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and crushed candy canes and blend well. Then, begin adding the flour 1 cup at a time. You may need more or less flour; what you're going for is a thick dough that doesn't flake off when you try to roll it in a ball.

Roll out smaller amount of the dough at a time to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick (these will "poof" just a bit when they bake) and cut with cookie cutters. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Christmas Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup butter or margarine (look for the low-fat kind)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 small eggs, beaten

1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. ground cinnamon

3 1/2 cups flour

These cookies have a delicate cinnamon flavor - nothing overpowering, but just enough to really make your taste buds tingle. Begin by beating the butter cinnamon, and powdered sugar together until it is very fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and blend well. Then, begin adding the flour 1 cup at a time. You may need more or less flour; what you're going for is a thick dough that doesn't flake off when you try to roll it in a ball.

Roll out smaller amount of the dough at a time to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick (these will "poof" just a bit when they bake) and cut with cookie cutters. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned.

Finishing Touches

These cookies work great frosted or decorated with tube frosting and little candy decals. If you're not into the idea of the frosting and candies, try topping the cookies with more crushed candy cane or cinnamon sugar (depending on the recipe you're using).

Another cool idea (totally my daughter's thought) is to spread a bit of apple butter or creamed fruits like banana, strawberry, or mango on one cookie and sandwich it with another.

For presentation, choose a shallow dish (I use a ceramic pie pan) and blend the cookies together with either cinnamon sticks or wrapped candy canes. The final effect is gorgeous.