8 of our best holiday cookie recipes

Christmas means cookies, right? My family makes gingerbread cookies — sometimes in the shape of a pitched roof and walls that we attempt to glue together with frosting for a complete (if wonky) house, or sometimes in the shape of people, a tradition that goes back at least as far as Queen Elizabeth I, whose royal gingerbread maker supposedly served spiced cookies that resembled dignitaries at elaborate banquets.

I love the pfeffernusse and lebkuchen genre of Christmas cookies that use plenty of spice — and the more ginger the better. For lebkuchen, former Times cooking columnist Ben Mims — who recently wrote the cookie book “Crumbs,” on our list of the best cookbooks of the year — puts ginger in the foreground in his version. He adds crystallized ginger that studs the soft, cake-like cookie. Each is topped with a simple powdered sugar glaze; add whatever sprinkles you want, but for an extra boost, more candied ginger.

This recipe for giant molasses-y cookies includes heaping spoonfuls of dried ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and lots of grated fresh ginger for so much oomph. (If you aren’t making cookies for the holidays but instead plan to buy some from a local bakery, our latest guide also includes the punchy gingersnaps at Gjusta.)

Want more ginger-y ideas? There are lemony gingerbread cutouts with lemon zest and ground coriander and a bright, tart lemon juice glaze, or bake these candied gingerbread macarons.

Obviously I love spicy, ginger-y cookies (is gingerbread not the ultimate Christmas biscuit?), but the beauty of the American holiday cookie tradition is its wide variety. The best Christmas cookie tins are filled with colorful sugar cookies, sprinkled gingerbread, linzers, spritzes, shortbread or sables, crinkles or crackles, even wedding cookies or special chocolate chip cookies — because why not?

What’s your favorite holiday cookie? Here are eight of ours.

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Brown Sugar Cookies With Maple Drizzle

Brown sugar and maple syrup are favorite seasonal flavors, subtler than molasses but still caramel-y and rich. These cookies pair pure maple syrup with sea salt, which balances the sweetness. Maple syrup in the cookie dough and the icing provides a homey warmth. The brown sugar makes these cookies chewy in the center and crisp around the edges.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 55 minutes. Makes about 45 cookies.

(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)

Lemony Gingerbread Cutouts

Cut this gingerbread cookie dough into any shape you like — palm trees, cactus and monstera leaves for a nod to Los Angeles. Ground coriander and lemon zest add an unexpected twist to the traditional spice mixture for gingerbread. A tart glaze highlights the lemons. Use Meyer lemons for their floral, sweet zest and juice, but regular lemons also work here. Dust with sparkling sugar, sugar snowflakes, pearl sugar or white dragées.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 2 hours. Makes about 2 dozen.

(Leslie Grow / For The Times)

Lauren Veca’s ‘Versace’ Rainbow Cookies

Writer Stephanie Breijo dove into the Italian American holiday cookies of her dreams, including this tricolor treat that stacks three layers of red, green and white (or pale yellow) cake to resemble the Italian flag, covered in a thin layer of melted chocolate — a recipe from a member of the Garibaldina Society. Breijo notes that rainbow cookies are a bit “equipment-intensive,” often requiring two mixing bowls (one for batter, one for egg whites), three cake pans and a small pot for melting chocolate. Despite all of the stuff and the steps, they are really pretty easy to make — and so delightful.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 4 hours plus chilling time. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)

Mexican Chocolate Christmas Cookies

Mexican chocolate Christmas cookies are inspired by cinnamon-sugar-dusted churros and rich Mexican hot chocolate. To make the filling, melt Mexican chocolate with cream; once chilled, the resulting ganache is formed into balls and frozen. Then wrap the dough around each chocolate ball and bake; the cookies spread and collapse around the chocolate.
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Cook time: 1 hour. Makes about 16 cookies.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles)

The Ultimate Wedding Cookie

Melt-in-your-mouth wedding cookies look like snowballs, so they’re always an apt addition to your Christmas cookie tin. These are crisp-tender and rich, with the crunch of finely chopped macadamia nuts.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

(Leslie Grow / For The Times)

Suzie’s Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies with frosting are classic Christmas (the kind you might leave out for Santa). These are simple, made with just a handful of ingredients. And the frosting isn’t a glaze but a lemony buttercream. The buttercream is made with lemon extract for concentrated lemon flavor that is the essence of the fragrant oil in peels rather than tart juice from the fruit. Serve as is or decorate.
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Cook time: 1 hour. Makes about 2½ dozen (3-inch) cookies.

Chocolate Chip Tahini Cookies with Halva and Cardamom

Chocolate chip Christmas cookie? I say yes, especially when halva and cardamom are involved. These are incidentally vegan and have a distinct sesame flavor from both tahini and halva. Chef Zoë Komarin likes to use the Har Bracha brand of tahini, but use any good brand you have, as long as it doesn’t stay runny; it should always have the texture of peanut butter. Look for halva in the kosher section of your local grocery store or, to support a local brand, buy from Hebel & Co.
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Cook time: 45 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling. Makes 32 cookies.

(Silvia Razgova/For The Times)

Hazelnut-Chocolate Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies are iconic Austrian Christmas biscuits, first made in the city of Linz in 1643. Traditionally they’re a smaller version of the jam-filled linzer tart, also called linzeraugen, or “eyes of Linz.” Instead of jam, these shortbread sandwich cookies (with a faint hint of orange) are filled with luscious chocolate-hazelnut spread, which you can also make yourself (it’s the holidays). Then let it snow with powdered sugar.
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Cook time: 1 hour. Makes about 25 sandwich cookies.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)