It’s that special time of year when family and friends gather together to partake in holiday festivities. Even though the dinner is always important, no one should exclude desserts from the holiday feast- especially cookies. Personally,  my family bakes about four different types of cookies during the holidays, so this is coming from an expert.

All ingredients are listed in baking order.

8. Gingerbread

Hard to make, but with patience comes great rewards. These cookies are the epitome of the holidays, but I’ll be frank, there are much better choices out there.

Ingredients: ¾ cup of butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup molasses, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons of baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon of ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon salt, 4 cups of flour, Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

7. Sugar Cookies

Fun for both decorating and eating,these simple cookies have a lot of heart-and will always be there for you. Dress it up as a snowman, or eat it how it is. Both will get you in the holiday spirit.

Ingredients: 1 cup of butter, 1 ½ cups of granulated sugar, 1 egg, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 ¾ cups of flour, Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

6. Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

For those who love the cool-as-a-winter-breeze taste of peppermint, this cookiegoes well with a mug of your favorite hot chocolate. But for those of you who do not like the minty addition, this recipe also makes amazing chocolate cookies.

Ingredients: 1 cup of butter, ¾ cup of sugar, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract, ¼ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of baking powder, 1 ¼ cups of flour, 1 crushed candy cane, ⅓ cup of chocolate chips, Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes

5. Chocolate Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Festive cookies featuring all of the perfect elements of a Christmas cookie: chocolate, almonds, and vanilla. They both look fancy and taste fancy. The Office should really have had these cookies at their “Classy Christmas” party.

Ingredients: Cookie – 1 cup of butter, ½ cup of almond butter, ½ cup of light brown sugar, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 ½ cups of flour, ⅓ cups of coarsely chopped almonds, Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes

Topping – 5 ounces of chocolate chips (melted), ½ cup of heavy cream

4. Cherry Macaroons

A perfect escape from the chilly weather. The cookies themselves are extremely festive with a red-as-Rudolph’s-nose coloring to them. Just like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, these cookies will make your holiday party go down in history.

Ingredients: 1 ⅓ cups of butter, 1 ½ cups of sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon of almond extract, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of salt, 3 ½ cups of flour, 1 ½ cups of shredded coconut, 1 cup of chopped maraschino cherries, Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes

3. Hershey Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies

Nothing says the holidays like a kiss from your older relatives. But this kind of kiss is a good thing: smooth and chocolatey. When grandma goes for your forehead, give her one of these cookies, and it will be as loving a gesture as what you just avoided.  

Ingredients: ½ cup of butter, ¾ cups of peanut butter, ⅓ cup of granulated sugar, ⅓ cup of light brown sugar, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ cups of flour, Roll each in sugar, Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, Place Hershey Kiss on top after baking

2. Lemon Glazed Cookies

The citrus zing of these cookies will hit you like Santa’s sleigh. Soft cookies paired with a hard, sweet icing. These transport you from the cold weather to a tropical paradise.

Ingredients: Cookie – 1 cup of butter, 1 ½ cups of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 ½ teaspoons of Cream of Tartar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, ½ teaspoon of salt, 2 ½ cups of flour,  Glaze – 2 ½ cups of powdered sugar, ¼ cup of lemon juice, Bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes

1. Snickerdoodles

With every cinnamon-y bite you take, the more you will feel like you are curled up with a warm blanket in your own winter paradise. Goes best with a glass of milk and warm holiday happiness. Just be careful to hide these from your sweet-toothed uncles or cousins, or else they will go too fast.

Ingredients: 1 cup of butter, 1 ⅓ cups of granulated sugar, 1 egg, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of Cream of Tartar, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 ½ teaspoons of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of salt, 3 cups of flour, Roll each in cinnamon and sugar, Bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes

Now go out and impress the world with your baking skills!