The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

Cookies have become a traditional treat during the holiday season. There are hundreds of different recipes out there for anyone to pick and choose through. I hope that these Christmas cookie recipes will help you choose which ones to make during the holiday season. Trust me when I say that Santa Claus really enjoys these cookies on Christmas Eve here in my house.

Sugar cookies are a favorite at my house. The girls love to cut out different shapes. Christmas cookie cutters are always being added to our collection each year.

Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until your dough is smooth. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about an hour or until the dough is firm enough to roll.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) Cut out any shapes that you desire using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet.

Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. Note: If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you may want to sprinkle the unbaked cookies with crystal or sparkling sugar.

Bake cookies for about 10 minutes or until they begin to brown on the edges. Remove the cookies from oven and let them cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with royal icing, if desired. Be sure to let the royal icing dry completely before storing.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

The next cookies are very colorful and tasty when finished. They are perfect for the holiday season.

Christmas Mosaic Cookies
1 cup butter/marg. softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz container of red candied cherries (fruitcake cherries not maraschino)
8 oz container of green candied cherries (fruitcake cherries)
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup flour
powder sugar for sprinkling

Roughly chop the red and green cherries and place in small separate bowl. Stir in the 1/4 cup flour into the cherries to keep them from clumping to each other. Set aside for later.

With electric mixer at medium, beat the butter until smooth, then add the powdered sugar. Mix well. Add egg and vanilla, and then mix until completely blended. At low speed, slowly add the 2 1/4 cups flour until completely mixed. It will be thick. With a spoon, fold in the chopped cherries until evenly distributed.

Separate the dough into two even pieces and shape into logs about 2 inches in diameter and approximately 5-6 inches long. Wrap in wax paper and then seal in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or even overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease cookies sheets. Slice the logs into 1/4 inch cookie slices and place on cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes. Let it sit for a minute before removing to cool. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Easy Cheesecake Cookie Cups
12 pieces refrigerator chocolate chip cookie dough
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Paper-line 12 muffin cups. Place 1 piece of cookie dough in each prepared muffin cup. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie has spread to edge of cup. Beat cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl until smooth. Pour about 3 tablespoons cream cheese mixture over each cookie in cup. Bake for an additional 15 to 18 minutes or until set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top with pie filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Oatmeal Christmas Cookies
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. quick cooking rolled oats
Candied citron, candied cherries and/or chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift the flour, sugar and salt into a medium size bowl; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine butter, eggs and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes or until smooth. Stir in the flour, then the oats. Drop batter by teaspoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, about 2" apart. Flatten each cookie with side of knife (dipping blade first in cold water keeps it from sticking to batter). Decorate tops with bits of the citron, candied cherries, and/or nuts. Bake until cookies are golden brown around the edge, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet immediately to cool on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Green Christmas Wreath Cookies
1 stick butter
30 lg. marshmallows
1 1/2 tsp. green food coloring
3 1/2 c. corn flakes
1/4 c. cinnamon candies (red hots)

Melt butter, marshmallows and food coloring in large saucepan. Mix well while it melts, then add the corn flakes blending well. Spoon small mounds (about 1 teaspoon) onto waxed paper. Garnish each with 3 red hots. Great for adding color to a plate of Christmas cookies.

Christmas Casserole Cookies
2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. coconut
1 c. chopped dates
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 tsp. almond extract

In a large 2 to 3 quart ungreased casserole beat eggs and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Bake in the casserole in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and beat with a spoon while hot; cool. When cool enough to handle, roll into 1" balls and roll in granulated sugar. Store in an air tight tin.

The most important thing to remember when making Christmas cookies during the holidays is to enjoy it. Especially if you making cookies with your children. Kids absolutely adore making cookies so try to always include them in the cookie baking. Even if it's just using a spoon to mix the ingredients. Anything will be fun for the kids and we all know that the holidays are all about the children. Happy Holidays!