A person’s Christmas cookie plate is very personal, but we believe the perfect plate of holiday cookies contains representatives from all of the major cookie groups: chocolate, fruity, nutty, shortbread, and spice.
These categories are broad with plenty of room for interpretation, but if you hit each one, you’re sure to please even the pickiest of cookie monsters.
Chocolate
Chocolate cookies can be as simple as a great, chewy chocolate chip recipe, but our go-to chocolate cookie is the Mudslide. A classic CIA recipe, this one is gooey and chewy, and we just don’t think there’s anything better.
Of course, the chocolate + mint combo is a Christmas no-brainer, so we also love this Chocolate Mint Cookie.
Fruity
Around the holidays, fruity usually translates to jam or dried fruit, and we love both. Linzer Cookies are classic Christmas, but a spiraled Rugelach or even an orange zest-flavored biscotti are perfect after-coffee treats.
Nutty
If you’re a fan of the nostalgic peanut butter kiss cookie, we think you’ll love this Tahini Kiss recipe that is the peanut butter version, all grown up (though yes, technically Seedy, rather than Nutty). You’ll also always find us with a batch of Pecan Diamonds, a favorite around the CIA that is basically pecan pie with a tender shortbread crust. It’s easier than it looks, and so worth the effort.
If you’re looking for a super flavorful gluten-free recipe, give these Italian Pignole Cookies a try!
Shortbread
These buttery Cinnamon Pecan Cookies are as seasonal as it gets, and they’re your ideal cookie-for-breakfast recipe. But if you love coffee as much as we do, you might want to give these Chocolate Cappuccino Shortbreads a try. They happen to be diabetes-friendly, so perfect for folks with special diets.
Chocolate-Pecan Shortbreads are a great base for topping with crumbled toffee, peppermint candies, or sprinkles.
Spice
You can’t have a Christmas cookie plate without a spice cookie. Royal-Icing decorated Gingerbread is quintessential spice cookie, but if you like it a bit more subtle, these cute Cinnamon Bun Cookies are fun and hit the spice-spot without being overwhelming, and Snickerdoodles are basically sugar-cookies with a little spice.
We would love to hear what can’t-miss recipes are on your Christmas cookie list every year. Share in the comments or post photos in our members-only Facebook group!