Christmas Cookie Recipes

It's funny how smell is so tied with memory. Sure, I can get nostalgic when I look at old family photographs, but nothing gets me like the smell of something baking in the oven. The process of making Christmas cookies with my mom was something I always looked forward to. I loved every step- from licking raw cookie batter off of a wooden spoon to spreading red and green sprinkles on top of sugar cookies.

What I also love about Christmas cookies is their variety. There is a Christmas cookie for every purpose. Some are great for making with kids, some are great for casual snacking, and others make great gifts. I used to live in Baltimore for awhile, and one of my favorite parts of the Baltimore Sun was that every Christmas they would pick out from submitted recipes their top picks for different categories. Even though I now live in New York, I still check back to read this column.

So here is a round up of best Christmas cookies. I've picked the following categories: best cookie for kids, best cookie for a gift, easiest cookie to make, best traditional cookie, and most unusual cookie. Enjoy!

Best Cookie for Kids
For kids, I think cookies that you can roll out and cut into different shapes are always the best. This cookie is advertised as a star, but you can feel free and make it into any shape you like. Plus, while they keep it more sophisticated with just a lemon glaze, feel free to add some sprinkles!

Cinnamon Stars
Carol Moran found this recipe in The New German Cookbook, by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz. "My mother who was born in Germany baked a similar cookie, but her original recipe was lost after her death," Moran wrote. "I wanted to keep her memory and traditions alive, so I searched for a recipe that would remind me and my family of her and her culinary delights." Moran especially likes the nutty taste of this cookie, and its contrast with the lemony glaze.

Best Cookie for a Gift
Christmas cookies make great gifts, especially for people who you are not quite sure what to get. Plus, if you've got an invitation to a holiday party or dinner, cookies are great to bring along to share. I also like to give cookies to my kid's teachers as gifts, because no matter what holiday you celebrate, you've still got a sweet tooth.

Sacher Bites
This recipe comes from a long-ago issue of Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cookies magazine, wrote Colleen Dalton of Lutherville. "I've always relished the combination of chocolate and raspberry, and this cookie is rich in both flavors," she wrote. Wethought they were pretty as well as tasty.

Best Easy Cookie
What I love ab out this cookie is that it is actually very easy to make, but it looks complex. So it's a good cookie to fool people with if you have a lot of other stuff to do--and who doesn't during the holidays??

Easy Lemon Cups
Carolyn Ward found this recipe in an old cookbook — she can't remember the title — and has been making it since her daughters, now grown, were little. "I like it because it's easy and the lemon," she said. "For Christmas I bring them into work, and everybody just loves them."

Best Unusual Holiday Cookie
This is actual and old cookie recipe, but it was new to me. It combines some interesting flavors, plus I these cookies are really pretty. Makes a nice sophisticated addition to any cookie platter.

Hungarian Poppy Seed Nut Slices
Richard J. Kopro sent this recipe in memory of his wife, Mildred, who he said made dozens of these cookies for family and friends during their 62 years of marriage. We liked the balance of nuts, poppy seeds and slight sweetness in this slim cookie, which would go nicely with tea.

To find these recipes and more visit the column's website.