Holiday Cookie Countdown

View Recipe: Gingerbread People

Go beyond average holiday cookies with our play on sweet-and-salty in these gift-worthy treats. Coarse-grained sea salt does not melt into the batter, so you experience a crunchy burst with every bite. Use any other nut you like in place of peanuts. Package simply in glass jars for gifts or stash for an afternoon dose of yin-and-yang.

View Recipe: Baked Soufganiyot

It may be the holidays, but sneak in some good stuff with these coffee-dunking biscotti. Your little secret: whole-wheat flour, flaxseed, dark chocolate chips, and almonds add fiber and antioxidants without sacrificing one ounce of pleasure.

If you like peanut butter cups, you'll love this charming twist. Perfect for parties (and kid-friendly, too), these fun treats have a crunchy peanut butter crusts and chocolaty centers that appeal to all ages. They're an eye-catching addition to any dessert tray.

View Recipe: Cranberry-Oatmeal Bars

View Recipe: Black and White Striped Cookies

View Recipe: Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies

These unique sugar cookies are perfect for doubling up to bake a second batch. Here's how: Mix up a double amount of dough in a large bowl. Bake the first batch of cookies on 2 baking sheets in the oven as directed, and keep the unused dough in the fridge as the first batch bakes. Cool baking sheets completely before proceeding with the rest of the dough.

Rich shortbread is easy to prepare and keeps for several days in an airtight container, making it ideal for gifts. Wrap simply in clear cellophane bags with festive ribbon for delicious treats for teachers, co-workers, and last-minute guests.

Package these crunchy cookies in a gift box with a pound of your favorite coffee beans. Look for almond paste on your supermarket's baking aisle, and for best results, don't substitute marzipan, which is sweeter and more finely textured, in place of the paste.

View Recipe: Butterscotch Blondies

Trust us. Our twist on the classic cinnamon-sugar cookie, lovingly called the Snickerdoodle, won’t disappoint. Using almond butter, egg yolks, and cream cheese in the cookie dough adds richness, and the crunchy coating of cinnamon sugar brings back all the memories from this all-time favorite cookie.

View Recipe: Iced Sugar Cookies

What would happen if pecans and dulce de leche met buttery shortbread? Heaven on a holiday plate. These aren’t just cookies. They’re full-on dessert in a bite-size treat.

View Recipe: Macadamia Butter Cookies with Dried Cranberries

Dust cookies with a bit of powdered sugar for a finishing touch that's not too sweet. Place sugar in a fine sieve, and shake it over cooled cookies.

With a double shot of chocolate and hazelnut flavors, kids and adults will rave over these filled cookies. An addition of espresso powder is optional, but it intensifies the chocolate flavor. Serve these pretty gems at your holiday gathering with coffee or hot tea.

View Recipe: Toasted Coconut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Alfajores, these crisp wafer cookies, are filled with caramelized sweetened condensed milk. Although you often can find a full-fat version of this product at Hispanic markets, we've made our own lower-fat version.

Still trying to decide on the perfect cookie to bake for Santa? We know these lighter chocolate chip cookies will be a favorite with jolly St. Nick.

View Recipe: Gingerbread Cookies

These cookies—bittersweet chocolate that mellows the ground peppers' heat--earned our Test Kitchens' highest rating. They're lovely after dinner with a few last sips of red wine.

Dear Santa: You won’t want to skip our house. We have warm Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies and a glass of cold milk waiting for you. We all helped make them. They’re going fast, so don’t be late.

View Recipe: Madeleines

No-bake cookies make even the most oven-shy baker look like a hero. You’ll see them at bake sales, fundraisers, and in millions of homes across the country as an after-school snack. We've cut out a lot of the unnecessary butter and added chocolate chips, providing firmness, texture, and a great gloss to these cookies.

Instead of taking the time to scoop individual cookies, bake a superfast cookie “pie,” and then cut it into wedges.

You’ll find that this recipe is very similar to the famous recipe on the Quaker Oats package—only lighter. We cut the original amount of butter almost in half and added molasses to bump up the flavor.

These classic sugar cookies are infused with nutty, caramel notes from browned butter and a fair bit of salt to balance the flavors. You can roll out the dough right after combining all the ingredients—no chilling required.

View Recipe: Chocolate-Cherry Heart Smart Cookies

View Recipe: Raspberry Linzer Cookies