The holiday season is right around the corner, and now is the perfect time to partake in its many festivities. Why not start with baking a batch of Christmas cookies? As one of my personal favorite traditions, no Christmas truly feels complete without the smell of freshly baked cookies wafting throughout the house. Below are a few recipe suggestions to help make your Christmas cookies extra special!

Recipe One: Reindeer Cookies

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230562/reindeer-cookies/

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of softened butter
• 1 cup of white sugar
• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 72 pretzels
• ½ cup of chocolate chips

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time:

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yields: 36 cookies

Directions:

Step One: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step Two: In a bowl, beat together sugar, butter, eggs, peanut butter, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Stir in flour and baking soda until well incorporated.

Step Three: Roll the dough into 36 balls. Then, flatten each ball until it looks like an upside-down triangle. Press two pretzels into the top corners of the triangle in order to form the antlers, two chocolate chips in the center of the triangle for the eyes, and one chocolate chip at the bottom of the triangle for the mouth.

Step Four: Bake until the cookies are golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Recipe Two: Double Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/double-chocolate-crinkle-cookies/

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• ½ cup of unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ cup and 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips

For Rolling:

• 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar

Preparation Time: 3 hours, 20 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time:  3 hours, 35 minutes

Yields: 20-22 cookies

Directions:

Step One: Using a mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Step Two: In a different bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the wet ingredients and continue to beat until combined. Add in chocolate chips until the dough looks thick and sticky. Cover the dough and chill for at least 3 hours.

Step Three: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit for 10 minutes.

Step Four: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step Five: Scoop and roll balls of dough into small balls. Roll each ball very lightly in granulated sugar and confectioners’ sugar. Place the balls of dough three inches apart on the baking sheets.

Step Six: Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges look set and the centers still appear soft.

Step Seven: Allow the cookies to cool, preferably using a cooling rack. The cookies should slightly deflate as they cool.

Recipe Three: White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

https://preppykitchen.com/white-chocolate-peppermint-cookies/#recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cup of all-purpose flour
• ½ cup of unsalted butter (softened)
• ¾ cup of white chocolate chips
• ½ cup crushed candy canes
• 1 pinch of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 pinch of baking powder
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of sugar
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon of peppermint oil

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 minutes

Total Time: 16 minutes

Yields: 18 cookies

Directions:

Step One: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder.

Step Two: In a mixer, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, add in the egg, vanilla, and peppermint oil.

Step Three: Slowly add the flour mixture into the mixer. Add in white chocolate chips and crushed candy canes before mixing until incorporated.

Step Four: Shape the cookie dough into small balls before dipping them in a bowl filled with crushed candy canes.

Step Five: Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Space the balls evenly on the cookie sheet and allow them to chill in the refrigerator for five to ten minutes.

Step Six: Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about six to seven minutes.

Step Seven: Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cookie sheet.

Those were three Christmas cookie recipes perfect for Santa or any holiday celebration. However, it is important to remember that Christmas is truly a time for family. Do not stress about the finer details of your celebration and all the work that has yet to be done. This is an opportunity to spend time with those you love while baking a delicious treat. Happy holidays!