The Best Christmas Cookie Recipes

From sugary concoctions to cream-filled creations, the best Christmas cookie recipes span a wide spectrum. They'll include traditional favorites that have withstood the test of time for generations, as well as new blends of ingredients that will come as a surprise to all. Despite an array of differences in preferences from person to person and culture to culture, a handful of recipes come to mind when it's time to celebrate the holidays.

Simple to make and delightful to decorate, one of the best Christmas cookie recipes for children to create is the standard sugar cookie. Characterized by cut-out shapes ranging from stars and Santa Clauses to wreaths, reindeer and Christmas trees, these sweet and savory snacks are perfect for entertaining adults and children alike at holiday parties and family get-togethers. Treasured for their flaky texture and melt-in-your-mouth taste, sugar cookies are a quick and easy treat that's fun for the entire family to make.

To bake a batch of this holiday favorite for your Christmas celebration, you will need:

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup softened butter

3 cups flour

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

Begin by beating the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until the ingredients are combined. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Spoon in small amounts of this mixture in intervals, being careful not to add too much of the mixture too quickly. Continue to mix the dough until all of the ingredients are combined thoroughly, then divide it into four equal parts. Wrap the individual parts with plastic wrap, and refrigerate them for approximately one hour, or until they are firm.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease your baking sheets, or line them with parchment paper. Remove one quarter of the dough at a time from the refrigerator. Place one sheet of waxed paper underneath this dough and a second sheet on the top. Roll out the dough until it is one-quarter-inch thick. Use holiday-shaped cookie cutters to cut out individual cookies from the flattened sheets of dough, and arrange them on the baking sheets. Bake the cookies for seven to eight minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Remove the sheets from the oven, let them sit for one minute, and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. When the Christmas cookies have cooled, decorate them with colored frosting or sprinkles, then serve them to your family and friends at your next holiday party. This recipe yields approximately 24 sugar cookies.

Another Christmas cookie that has enjoyed popularity from generation to generation is snickerdoodles. These light and buttery cookies topped with sprinklings of cinnamon are simple to make and even easier to enjoy. To begin, you will need:

1 cup butter

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mixture of 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs, baking soda and cream of tartar. Stir in the flour. Take small pieces of the dough and roll them into balls that are approximately one inch in diameter. Then, roll the balls into your mixture of cinnamon and sugar until they are fully coated. Line the balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake them for eight to 10 minutes or until they are slightly brown. Allow the cookies to cool before serving them to your guests. This recipe yields approximately 48 snickerdoodles.

When it comes to cookies, every family has its own holiday favorites, but sugar cookies and snickerdoodles remain some of the best Christmas cookie recipes and will continue to appear at get-togethers and gatherings around the world during the Christmas season for centuries to come.