Now that Thanksgiving is over and I am officially in holiday mode, I thought it would be the perfect time to make some Christmas cookies. One of my favorite childhood memories is making sugar cookies, and it’s just not Christmas time unless they make an appearance.

I remember making these cookies every Christmas Eve to leave out for Santa. Every bite takes me back to that time and I’m happy for those memories. This is the perfect cookie to snack on while you’re decorating the tree or to take to a cookie swap – because everyone loves a classic sugar cookie!

The great thing about this recipe is that you can make classic drop cookies or roll out the dough and cut it into different shapes with cookie cutters — if you want to make cut outs use baking powder instead of baking soda. I went ahead and made the drop cookie version because I was feeling a tad bit lazy – after all, it did take me most of the weekend to recover from Black Friday! However, once we get a little closer to Christmas, I will definitely be making some cutouts.

These cookies are soft with a slight crunch, chewy and perfectly sweet. Sprinkled with colorful sugar makes them great for any holiday. I promise you, you won’t be able to eat just one, so be sure to have plenty of milk on hand!

If you choose to make cutouts use baking powder in place of baking soda, you’ll also want to separate the dough into 2 disks and chill it for 2 hours. Then, on a floured board roll out the dough to your desired thickness and use cookie cutters to cut into different shapes.

Sugar Cookies

Everyone’s favorite Christmas cookie – they are easy and fun! And, who doesn’t love sprinkles?

| Yield: 3 Dozen | Prep Time: 15 Min | Bake Time: 8 Min |

INGREDIENTS

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
½ Tsp. Salt
1 Cup Butter
¾ Cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 ½ Tsp. Vanilla
3-4 Tbsp. Milk
Colored Sugar or Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400º.

Sift together the first 3 ingredients into a medium bowl and set aside. Cream the butter gradually adding sugar; add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Blend in dry ingredients. Add the milk a tablespoon at a time until the dough is moistened, but not wet.

Drop rounded tablespoons full of dough onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment. Roll each cookie into colored sugar and put back on the cookie sheet about 1-inch apart.

Bake at 400° for 5-8 minutes or until edges are lightly brown.