Fall Fest: 5 Must-Bake Holiday Cookies

Is there a holiday tradition more highly anticipated than baking cookies? Whether you like yours festively frosted or decked out in dark chocolate, cookies are pretty much guaranteed to spread the holiday cheer. We're celebrating 31 Days of Cookies here on the blog, but if you're not sure where to start, try these five favorite recipes.
1) We nominate Spritz Cookies (pictured above) as the most giftworthy holiday cookie. Rich, yet delicate in flavor, these winners hold up well days after baking, and have an elegant, classic look.
2) Who says ice cream sandwiches are only for summer? Add some zing to the dessert table with Giada’s Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches. Use amaretto liqueur to spike the vanilla ice cream filling and give this frosty treat a grown-up spin.

Matt Armendariz, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
3) Warm up your guests with a holiday cookie that packs not just the sweet, but also some heat. Alton’s Chocolate Diablo Cookies earn their wicked name from a kick from cayenne pepper.

Matt Armendariz, 2013, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
4) If you consider eggnog a holiday tradition, try shaking things up with Eggnog Shortbread Cookies. The thick and crumbly cookie wedges are spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon and topped with a bourbon glaze to one-up — or pair perfectly with — the holiday cocktail.

5) Half the fun of holiday baking is the decorating. And with these simple Butter Cookies, you can cut and frost them into anything you your holiday-happy heart desires.

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