How To Make Christmas Cookies 2018: Easy Recipes To Spread Holiday Cheer

Everyone may be looking forward to opening the presents under the Christmas Tree, but there’s one other extra special treat to look forward to this holiday season—lots and lots of delicious Christmas cookies!

Cookies are Santa’s favorite for a reason, so why not make him some great options? It may just convince him to leave you a few more gifts underneath the tree. If he’s not the one you’re trying to impress though, there are also great recipes to try that will have everyone who receives a plate beaming with happiness and feeling the holiday spirit.

Check out these sure-to-win recipes below:

Chewy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (Compliments of The Minimalist Baker)

Chocolate is rarely not a hit when it comes to baked goods, and these cookies get an extra special festive twist for the holidays with the addition of peppermint.

What You’ll Need:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ tsp natural peppermint extract
• 1 ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 1 candy cane, finely crushed
• 1/3 cup, dark, bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

How To Make Them:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together for about 1-2 minutes. Add egg, peppermint extract and beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as you go to ensure even mixing.

3. Add flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda and powder to a sifter and sift gradually over the wet ingredients, mixing as you go. Mix until well combined.

4. Add chocolate chips and stir in with a mixing spoon and then chill in the freezer for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.

5. Form the dough into small balls and place 1.5 inches apart on an ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Press the tops down and then top with more chocolate chips.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The edges should start to dry but the tops will still be slightly soft-looking. Let set on the cookie sheet for a few minutes more, but sprinkle crushed candy cane on immediately.

7. Transfer to a cooling rack to rest until completely cooled. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh for up to a few days or freeze for several weeks.

Christmas Pinwheel Cookies (Compliments of AllRecipes)

No one will be able to resist these mesmerizing cookies.

What You’ll Need:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups butter
• 1 drop red food coloring, or as needed
• 1 drop green food coloring, or as needed
• 1 cup packed brown sugar

How To Make:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. Resift again into another bowl.

2. Beat the butter with the brown and white sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until evenly blended. Gather the dough into a ball, and divide into two equal parts. Place one half in a second bowl. Add red food coloring to the dough in one bowl, and green food coloring to the dough in the other bowl. Use a fork or wooden spoon to blend the food coloring into the dough until evenly blended. Add additional drops of food coloring to make the desired shade.

3. Roll out the red dough to ¼ inch thickness. Roll out the green dough to ¼ inch thickness, and place on top of the red dough. Beginning on one edge, roll the doughs to make a log so the two colors spiral inside each other. Wrap the log in waxed paper, then in a cotton towel, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.

5. Unwrap the dough log, and place on a clean, lightly floured surface. Slice the log into rounds 1/8 inch thick, and place on prepared baking sheets.

6. Bake in preheated oven until set, 5 to 6 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent edges from browning. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

Eggnog Snickerdoodles (Compliments of Cooking Classy)

This recipe allows you to have all the delicious taste of both Snickerdoodle cookies and eggnog, but without the actual eggnog.

What You’ll Need:

• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup all-vegetable shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp rum extract

For Rolling:

• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

How To Make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt for 20 seconds. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together butter, shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Mix in eggs, then mix in vanilla and rum extract. With the mixer set on low speed, slowly add in flour mixture and mix just until combined.

3. Scoop dough out 1 ½ tbsp at a time and shape into balls.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup granulated sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon and roll dough balls into the mixture to evenly coat. Place 2 inches apart on Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake in preheated oven 9-10 minutes (they should appear slightly under-baked). Cool on baking sheet several minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Gingerbread Men (Compliments of AllRecipes)

Gingerbread men are classic staples of the holidays for a reason.

What You’ll Need:

• 3 cups flour
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons McCormick ginger, ground
• 1 teaspoon McCormick cinnamon, ground
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup McCormick Nutmeg, ground
• ½ cup molasses
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

How To Make:

1. Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well-mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place one inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1-2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in an airtight container up to 5 days.