It’s the holiday season, which means it’s time to start baking! Here a few recipes to get you started.

Classic Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Ingredients:

Cookie

• 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar
• 1 cup of butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 egg
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting  

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, almond extract and egg until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours.
2. Heat oven to 375°F. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured, cloth covered surface, roll each half of dough 3/16 inch thick. Cut into assorted shapes with cookie cutters, or cut around patterns traced from storybook illustrations. If cookies are to be hung as decorations, make a hole in each 1/4 inch from top with end of plastic straw. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. In medium bowl, beat all frosting ingredients until smooth and spreadable. Tint with food color if desired. Frost and decorate cookies as desired with frosting and colored sugars.

For full recipe click here.

Confetti Cake-Mix Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 package (8oz.) softened cream cheese
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 box of super moist white cake mix
• ¼ cup green, white, and red sprinkles
• 1 container vanilla frosting
• Another tablespoon green, white, and red sprinkles

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and softened butter with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until well blended; scrape side of bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. On low speed, beat in cake mix until blended. Beat in 1/4 cup sprinkles. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
5. Using knife, spread slightly less than 1 tablespoon frosting over top of cookie, and immediately top with sprinkles. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in airtight container at room temperature.  

For full recipe click here.

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Additional granulated sugar
• 36 Hershey’s kisses

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder until dough forms.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional granulated sugar. On ungreased cookie sheets, place about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately press 1 milk chocolate candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack.

For full recipe click here.  

Chocolate Crinkles

Ingredients:

• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate (melted and cooled)
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In large bowl, mix oil, chocolate, granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours.
2. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray.
3. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls into powdered sugar; roll around to coat and shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

For full recipe click here.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ½ cup softened butter
• ½ cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
2. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  

For full recipe click here.

Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground all-spice
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

1. In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in egg and molasses. Stir in remaining ingredients except granulated sugar. Cover; refrigerate at least 2 hours.
2. Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper or silicone baking mat. In small bowl, place granulated sugar. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar. On cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or just until set and soft in center. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Store tightly covered up to 1 week.

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