Family Christmas Cookie Recipes

Here is a selection of two great family-style Christmas cookie recipes. They each have a fun holiday title and shape, and are easy enough that the whole family can participate in making.

North Pole Crystal Cookies

This recipe is a simple sugar cookie dipped or sprinkled with coarse grain or granulated sugar. The sugar topping looks like crystals once they are baked.

1 cup butter flavor shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts
Additional granulated sugar or coarse grain sugar for dipping
Cold water for dipping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use ungreased cookie sheets and set aside.

Cream the shortening until smooth in a mixing bowl. Add in the granulated and light brown sugar, and mix until very creamy and smooth. Add in the egg and scrape the bottom well. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.

Stir the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and finely chopped nuts together. Add this to the creamed mixture and stir until incorporated.

Take the dough and form into balls, about 1 heaping tablespoonful. Take each ball and dip one half into the cold water then dip into the sugar. Place the balls on the baking sheet, sugar side up.

Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 8 to 12 minutes, depending on the size of the balls. Let cool for about a minute on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Candy Cake Sugar Cookies

These fun cookies are made by rolling contrasting colors of sugar cookie dough (red and plain) and twisting into a candy cane shape. Bake until done and let cool before handling.

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 tsp orange extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Red food coloring paste, as needed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Find perfectly flat baking sheets and reserve.

Cream the shortening and the powdered sugar together until well combined and creamy. Add in the egg and the extracts and scrape the bottom well.

Stir the flour and the salt together. Add to the creamed mixture. Take half of the mixture and add in red food coloring as desired to make the dough red.

Take out even spoonfuls of the dough and roll each into strips, each the same length. Twist the two contrasting strips and place on a flat cookie sheet. Curve one end to make the 'candy cane hook' and continue with the remaining dough.

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until very lightly browned and set, time depending on the size of the cookie. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool before handling.