170 holiday cookie recipes

Raisin orange polenta cookies fold Cointreau-soaked raisins, bright orange zest, and a scoop of cornmeal into a buttery Italian-style drop cookie. Golden, subtly crunchy, and citrus-bright.

Chocolate butter cookie dough adds melted unsweetened and semi-sweet chocolate to a master holiday butter cookie recipe. Roll, cut, and shape it into pinwheels, classic cut-outs, Linzer sandwiches, or sugar-coated crescents.

Piped kiss-shaped meringues dried overnight in the oven, then dipped in melted semisweet chocolate. Light as a snowflake and stunning on a holiday cookie tray.

Cookie candy turkeys assemble chocolate stars, caramels, striped chocolate cookies, and candy corn into adorable no-bake Thanksgiving favors. Kid-friendly craft dessert ready in 20 minutes.

Ghost cookies made by dipping butter cookies in white almond bark with black jelly bean eyes. A no-bake Halloween treat kids can help make in under 30 minutes.

Pat Korth of Muskego offered a coconut variation on the peanut butter kiss cookie.

No-bake Halloween spider cookies with melted chocolate, crispy rice cereal, coconut, and chow mein noodle legs. A spooky-fun treat kids love to make and devour!

These delicious and melted in your mouth cookies don't last long.

This recipe, though fussy to make, is attractive and tasty. Cheryl Kaufenberg of Darien said it came from a very old Better Homes & Gardens magazine

Macadamia nut brittle with dried banana chips and coconut, made in the microwave. A tropical twist on classic peanut brittle that's ready in under 15 minutes.

Light, chewy coconut macaroons made meringue-style from whipped egg whites and grated coconut, sweetened sugar-free and scented with almond. Naturally gluten-free, and lovely topped with a glace cherry.

Spooky chocolate cookies with pretzel stick legs coated in melted chocolate and sprinkles with candy eyes. These Halloween tarantula treats are fun to make with kids.

Buttery spiced fig thumbprint cookies, tender brown-sugar dough rolled in a crunchy flax-sugar coating and filled with jammy fig preserves. Warm cinnamon and nutmeg make them a standout on the holiday cookie tray.

Jack-o-lantern cookies made from peanut butter sandwich cookies dipped in orange-tinted almond bark with black licorice faces. A fun, no-bake Halloween treat kids love decorating.

Green-and-white peppermint pinwheel cookies, sliced from a swirled frozen log. A classic Christmas icebox cookie with spiraled layers of vanilla and mint dough.

Lighter cranberry apple cookies made with egg whites and skim milk, loaded with fresh fruit, cinnamon, and orange zest. A guilt-free holiday cookie that yields 2 dozen.