5 Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes

Five Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes

A few years ago, I started the tradition of making cookie tins. It was one of my favorite memories from growing up. My dad brought home a massive tray of cookies from his office every year around Christmas. Our family would gather around the cookie tray, grab our favorite cookies, and nibble on them over time. There are always a few new recipes to try each year. I always turn to these five favorite holiday cookie recipes when baking over the holidays.

Once things slow down with work, I look forward to baking for our neighbors, friends, and family. This is a great way to spread holiday cheer. Our UPS and FedEx package guys will also get one and their holiday tips.

For the cookie boxes, I buy these tins from Target. Sometimes, I mix up the patterns, but I went all the same this year. My husband saw these cookie cutters and thought smaller was better for those bite-sized cookies perfectly paired with coffee in the morning.

Auntie Cookies

These have become a family favorite with my niece and nephew. This recipe from Dorie Greenspan is the dough I use. The recipe calls for the edges to be coated in sanding sugar, but I prefer sprinkles!

It would be best to roll them in sprinkles for the full effect. I change up the sprinkles depending on the season. Red and pink for Valentine’s Day and red and green for Christmas. You can use whatever sprinkles that catch your eye. It does get messy, but that is part of the fun. I have been making these for years, and the adults love them too!

You can see a breakdown of the Auntie cookie recipe here. If you make them, I would love it if you would tag me so I can see them.

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I don’t know when I started making this recipe, but it was after I moved in with my husband during the pandemic. These are easily one of my family’s favorite cookies. I added dark chocolate chips to the recipe, which have been a hit since day one. My dad requests them regularly, and I typically split a batch with my dad and father-in-law and mail them out a few times a year. They pair well with coffee. The recipe is via NYT and may require a subscription.

Christmas Cookies

I started making these Christmas cookies after seeing the recipe from The Crillon Hotel in Paris during the pandemic. They shared the recipe on Instagram, and I was inspired to make them. My husband loves them and requests them each year. The cookies have the perfect amount of sugar and cinnamon in them.

We prefer these to be made with smaller cookie cutters over the larger ones from experience. It is a bit of a project to make and cut out the dough, so be prepared to spend an afternoon or evening cooking and cleaning up. It’s part of the fun of the holidays.

World Peace Cookies

My aunt first introduced me to Dorie Greenspan and these World Peace Cookies. The trick to making them is to measure the ingredients, especially the flour, with a scale. Chicago can get very dry in the winter, and the dough is different in the summer vs the winter. I also noticed this when making them in Chicago vs. my sister’s Florida kitchen. Once you get the right combination, you will jump for joy.

My nephew has been making these with me since he was a baby. I love adding dark chocolate to these; the cocoa powder also makes a big difference. Quality ingredients are essential for the extra flavor boost.

Sugar Cookies with Frosting

Don’t underestimate a simple sugar cookie with sprinkles and frosting. I prefer to go lighter with the frosting and use a squeeze bottle to make my designs. You can get really creative and have fun with this. The recipe is simple with powdered sugar.

Five Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipes French Madeleines

French Madeleines aren’t technically cookies but I love making them and adding them to the cookie tins. A few years ago, I dressed them up with sprinkles and chocolate for a fun holiday twist. This was easy to do with melted chocolate and a bowl of sprinkles. You can get the recipe here.

If you have a favorite peppermint or cinnamon recipe. I would love the link! Drop your favorite holiday cookie recipe below to share with the EDP community.