1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Busy Cooks

Top 10 Christmas Cookies

By Linda Larsen, About.com

These are the cookies I have to make every year for the holiday season. They include old family favorites, cookies that are a bit more labor-intensive, and heirloom recipes I just can't miss. From chocolate bonbons to roll-out decorated cookies to turtle candies in bar form, you'll love them too.

1. Roll Out Butter Cookies

Roll Out Butter CookiesLinda Larsen
These delicate and tender cookies are the essence of Christmas. Make decorating them a family affair! Make the dough one day and chill it, then roll them out and bake the next, and finally get everyone together with bowls of frosting and candies to enjoy decorating.

2. Peanut Sitting-Pretties Thumbprint Cookies

Peanut Sitting Pretties CookyLinda Larsen
These gorgeous little cookies are fussy to make, but once again you can break up the work and make them over a couple of days. The rich butter dough topped with frosting and candies makes one of the best cookies ever.

3. Starlight Mint Cookies

Starlight Mint CookiesLinda Larsen
I have to make these cookies every year for my husband's family. The brown sugar dough gets crisp around the edges, and the mint candy inside melts just enough to add a texture contrast.

4. Chocolate Peanut Butter Bonbons

Chocolate Peanut Butter BonbonLinda Larsen
What could be better than chocolate and peanut butter? Believe it or not, add some dates! These chewy and creamy little candies are just wonderful. I forgot to make them last year, and we really missed them!

5. Peanut Blossoms

Peanut BlossomsLinda Larsen
This classic cookie is my husband's favorite. The original recipe was too dry, so in this version I reduced the flour and chill the dough. The cookies are soft and chewy, just perfect! Try making them with the new flavors of chocolate kisses, especially the peanut butter swirl. Yum.

6. Easy but Fancy Cookies

Easy But Fancy CookiesLinda Larsen
It's hard to believe that these crunchy and crisp little cookies use just five ingredients. They're rich and delicious, and the chocolate topping is the perfect addition.

7. Butter Pecan Cookies

Butter Pecan CookiesLinda Larsen
These little cookies are like turtle candy in bar form. They're easy to make, as long as you remember to cook the butter and sugar mixture until it comes together and forms a syrup. The buttery shortbread crust is a really nice addition to the chocolate and caramel.

8. Spritz Cookies

Spritz CookiesLinda Larsen
These little cookies are a German Christmas classic. They are very simple cookies, but special because they're made with a cookie press. The secret to making these cookies is to have the dough well-chilled, and use cool, ungreasy cookie sheets.

9. Caramel Cream Cookies

Caramel Cream CookiesLinda Larsen
After making these for years as a sandwich cookie, I tried a new way. Don't make them into sandwich cookies! Shape and bake the cookies just as directed, but just frost the tops with the browned butter frosting. This gives you a better cookie/frosting ratio and also yields twice the number of cookies!

10. Chocolate Buttersweets

And finally, another thumbprint cookie! Tender shortbread is filled with chocolate frosting, then drizzled with even more chocolate, for a beautiful little cookie that's the perfect finish to Christmas dinner.

Explore Busy Cooks

More from About.com

  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Busy Cooks
  4. Seasonal Recipes
  5. Holiday Recipes and Menus
  6. Christmas
  7. Top 10 Christmas Cookies Recipes - Best Christmas Cookies - Holiday Cookie Recipes

©2008 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.