Our holidays wouldn’t be the same without freshly baked cookies! Honestly, my family and I love these four cookie recipes so much that I often end up baking them throughout the year.
Frosted* Sugar Cookies
aka The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies from All Recipes
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400º. Roll out dough on floured surface ¼ to ½ inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
*4. Decorate as desired. We like to make our own icing or frosting, and always add sprinkles!
Sprinkle Sugar Cookies
aka Small Batch Sugar Cookies from Dessert for Two (with added sprinkles!*)
Note: This is purposely a small recipe, but also works well doubled or tripled.
Ingredients:
· 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
· 1/3 cup granulated sugar
· 1 large egg yolk
· ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
· ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
· ¼ teaspoon baking soda
· 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°, and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Stir together the melted butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Stir very well to combine.
3. Next, sprinkle the flour, baking soda, and salt evenly over the dough, and stir just to combine.
(*At this time, we like to add in rainbow or themed sprinkles. The amount totally depends on our mood!)
4. Press the dough flat and evenly in the bowl.
5. Roll each dough ball in your hands, and then space evenly on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until they spread, start to crackle and appear dry on top.
7. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Salted Nutella Cookies 
aka Easy 5-Ingredient Fudgy Nutella Cookies with Sea Salt from Ambitious Kitchen
Ingredients:
· 1 cup Nutella
· 2 tablespoons brown sugar
· 1 egg
· ½ cup flour + 1 tablespoon
· coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine all ingredients besides salt in a large bowl with electric mixer until well combined. Place dough in freezer for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes roll dough into approximately 1-inch balls, place on ungreased baking sheet at least two inches apart and bake for 8-10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes until cookies are set, then very carefully transfer to a wire rack. Generously sprinkle with sea salt.
Gingerbread Biscotti 
Gingerbread Biscotti from Land O’Lakes
Ingredients:
· ½ cup butter, softened
· ½ cup sugar
· ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
· 1 tablespoon ground ginger
· ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
· ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
· ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
· 2 large eggs
· 3 tablespoons mild molasses
· 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
· 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet; set aside.
2. Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, ginger, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Add molasses; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed until well mixed. Stir in mini chocolate chips, if desired.
3. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 12-inch log on lightly floured surface. Place logs 3 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheet. Flatten logs slightly.
4. Bake 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned and tops are slightly cracked. Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes on cookie sheet.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
6. Carefully place logs onto cutting surface. Cut into ½-inch diagonal slices with serrated knife. Place, cut-side down, onto ungreased cookie sheets.
7. Return to oven. Bake 9 minutes; turn slices. Continue baking 5-7 minutes or until cookies are dry and crisp. Cool completely.
Looking for more holiday cookie ideas?
Our Favorite Cookies {A Virtual Cookie Swap}
Have Yourself A Merry Little Cookie Baking Party
How to Throw the Most Festive Cookie Swap
