Christmas Cookies

Christmas Cookies fit for cookie exchanges, holiday trays, gifts, and more!

Holiday baking. The best time of year! The smell of butter, chocolate and sugar in the air. I get hungry just thinking about it.

I think that most people have a few cookies that they make every year out of tradition. But they are always adding to the mix and trying new ones. At least, my family is definitely that way.

Over the years the list of what we want each holiday season has grown out of control. So at our house each person get to pick 1 cookie they want, and then we have a couple things that are a must!

I usually have a couple different cookie exchanges that I attend each year, so we end up with way more cookies that we need. My husband's co-workers are always happy about that.

Here are a few tips to make your Christmas Cookie Baking a success!

1. Plan ahead. I like to make a list of the cookies I need and the ingredients. So I know how much butter I actually need when I am at the store. This also eliminates some overlap - you only need so many cookies with toffee for example.
2. Bake in batches. If you have cookies that are similar, bake them on the same day. Or if you have an easy no bake cookie, pair that with the day you are doing the involved sugar cookies.
3. Freeze your dough. I am not a huge fan of freezing already baked cookies. It works, and you can totally do it. I can just tell the difference. So I prefer to freeze my dough, and then bake the cookies fresh when I need them.
4. Stock up on packaging. You can buy bags, boxes, and holiday containers at just about any store. Have those on hand for when you need a quick gift for the neighbor, teacher, or delivery person.
5. Get festive!  Use the holiday colored M&M, sprinkles, colored sugar and frosting for your treats. They stand out on a cookie tray and are just more fun.

Here are some of my family favorite Christmas Cookie Recipes