I have to give my annual shout out to #11: Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies. I don't particularly like sugar cookies, frankly, but I have a little girl who LOVES rolling them out, cutting out shapes, and decorating. Before this recipe, the process would cause me to get dangerously close to psycho, but this recipe really holds up so nicely! It doesn't stick, it doesn't fall apart, it isn't fussy, it tastes decent (if you like sugar cookies you will probably think it tastes very good), and it will not make you psychotic in December. Bake this cookie = peace on earth.

I'm a 100% with cmcinnyc! I made a huge batch yesterday and baked some for my Christmas Tree. They are amazing for cutting out shapes and they hold very well. The taste it's buttery and with a subtle lemon fragance. I made mine quite plain because I intend to ice them. They are absolutely AMAZING!

Aww thanks so much for the shoutout! Getting ready to make a big batch of those cookies soon too!

I got my holiday cookies out a little early this year, and posted recipes with photos of each kind I made - Holiday Cookies 2012!

The caramel pecan crumb bars were a new recipe to me, but definitely my favorite out of the bunch.

Where I come from, most families bake at least 12 varieties of Christmas cookies -- tiny, delicate, beautiful, and delicious cookies. But, it has become quite a hobby, and there are some families which make 18, and up to 40 (!!) different varieties. Vanilla crescents and small Linzer cookie cutouts glued together with raspberry jam are classics.

The one I make which has gotten most requests are these walnut cookies: made with walnuts in the dough, baked in walnut molds, and glued together with buttercream (mocha). They look like this:

http://marfar.rajce.idnes.cz/Vanocni_cukrovi/#plnene_orechy.JPG

Biscotti! Anise-almond are my preferred kind, but I've made lots of other flavors in the past. As many cookies as I bake and give away every year (I have 14 kinds on the docket for this weekend), I still keep a few of these for myself.

wow! these all look amazing. where do i start?!?

Those peanut butter blossoms look awesome!

All your cookies look so beautiful!

@mschatelaine, I'd love to see your recipe.

@CycleChic

The key to this recipe is to have the metal walnut molds (not the walnut mold from House on the Hill, as you cannot bake the dough inside the mold). I found mine at a local kitchenware shop (King Arthur no longer carries the individual molds), oddly enough, but in case you can't, here is a source:

http://www.consiglioskitchenware.com/store/pc/WALNUT-MOLDS-12-PACK-INDIVIDUAL-407p2224.htm

Once you have those, the rest is a piece of cake.

I usually make a chocolate version of the dough:

320g butter
400g cake flour, sieved
160g sugar
120g finely chopped nuts (either walnuts or hazelnuts)
4 tsp cocoa

Bake at 375° for about 15 minutes (cookie molds don't need to be buttered and floured)

Filling:

I'm experimenting with using marshmallow fluff, mixed with unsalted cultured butter -- it's easier than making a real buttercream. (use a lot more butter than you think possible) Add 50-100 grams of fine melted dark chocolate and a teaspoon or two of King Arthur Espresso Powder.

OR -- you can omit the cocoa in the cookie dough, and use light brown sugar instead of white. Then add some maple walnut flavoring to the buttercream, and again, omit chocolate.

have just bookmarked the earl grey tea ones (thinks it's amusing that a tag for english breakfast tea appears in the pic!)

Another vote for the Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies! I always bring cakes and cookies to work, but when I made those last year I seriously had people lining up outside my office to tell me how good they were. Making them later this week!

I want to bake all of them!