Let’s be honest: the humble sugar cookie has had its moment. Every December, it reappears—frosted within an inch of its life, a little too sweet, a little too… expected. We’re here for cookies with character. Texture. Intrigue. Something your aunt will side-eye and then immediately ask for the recipe.
So, hang up the cookie cutters shaped like mittens and meet your new holiday lineup.
Lace Curtain Cookies
Delicate. But never dull.
Imagine if a snowflake and a shortbread had a whirlwind holiday romance. These cookies are crisp, golden, and so stunning they look like they were designed by your most artistic aunt — the one who “just dabbles” in stained glass.
The dough rolls out soft and cooperative (a holiday miracle), and the lace cutouts make them look like edible ornaments. Bonus: they dust beautifully with confectioners’ sugar, giving off peak “I bake casually in cashmere” vibes.
Why they’re a flex:
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Pretty enough to gift without wrapping
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Minimal effort, maximum gasps
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The perfect cookie for anyone who loves a subtle, buttery crunch
Pairs well with: tying individual cookies onto gifts like the overachiever you secretly are.
Yield: 48 cookies
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Ingredients
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5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
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1½ teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
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2 cups granulated sugar
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2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
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2 large eggs, lightly beaten
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Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
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Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Place the butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl, and beat at medium speed with a handheld mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the beaten eggs and beat until incorporated. Gradually add the dry mixture and work the mixture with your hands until a smooth dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
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Preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the chilled dough into four pieces. Place one piece on a flour-dusted work surface and roll out to ⅛-inch thick. Use corrugated nesting lace cookie cutters to cut the dough into cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
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Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges have browned. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Icy Molasses Drops
Your grandma’s spice cookie… elevated.
Dark, cozy, and a little dramatic, these molasses drops bring holiday nostalgia with a decadent twist. They’re studded with currants, raisins, and almonds — a whole cast of supporting characters — and finished with a glossy white icing drip that makes them look like miniature Christmas puddings.
Warm spices, citrus zest, brandy-soaked fruit… honestly, this cookie has more depth than half the prestige TV dramas out there.
Why they’re unforgettable:
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Soft, cakey texture with surprise pops of fruit
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They look like they should be on a fancy dessert pedestal
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The iced top turns them into instant showstoppers
Pairs well with: a screening of The Holiday and a mug of something that steams.
Yield: 24 cookies
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Ingredients
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3 tablespoons currants
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Zest of 3 oranges
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3 tablespoons raisins
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2 tablespoons brandy
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12 tablespoons unsalted butter
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½ cup gently packed light brown sugar
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½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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2 teaspoons molasses
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1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
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½ cup sliced almonds
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1½ cups self-rising flour
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⅓ cup almond meal
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1 cup demerara sugar
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1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
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1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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Hot water (125°F), as needed
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24 candied cherries, halved, for decoration
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Mint leaves, for decoration
Instructions
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Place the currants, 1 tablespoon of the orange zest, raisins, and brandy in a bowl, stir to combine, and cover with plastic wrap. Let stand for 1 hour.
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Place the mixture in a food processor and puree until smooth. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and beat at medium speed with a handheld mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the remaining zest and vanilla, reduce speed to low, and beat to incorporate.
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Place the molasses in a saucepan and gently warm over medium-low heat. Add to the butter mixture; stir to combine, and then incorporate the pumpkin pie spice. Add the chopped almonds, flour, almond meal, and chopped fruit and stir until a smooth dough forms.
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Place the demerara sugar in a shallow dish. Form tablespoons of the dough into balls, roll them in the sugar, and place them on the baking sheets. Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cookies look dry and slightly cracked on the surface. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
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Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a deep bowl, add the lemon juice, and beat until combined. Incorporate tablespoons of hot water until the frosting achieves the desired consistency. Spoon some of the frosting over each cookie, allowing it to run down the sides a little. Decorate each cookie with a piece of candied cherry and a mint leaf. Let set before serving.
A Star Is Born
The cookie equivalent of a red-carpet moment.
These aren’t just star-shaped cookies — they are iconic star-shaped cookies. A buttery dough infused with cinnamon and nutmeg gets cut into bold stars, then layered with a raspberry jam center that glows like a stained-glass window at golden hour.
A dusting of confectioners’ sugar completes the look. They’re classic, theatrical, and a little sentimental — the cookie equivalent of believing in holiday magic “again, for real this time.”
Why they’re pure drama:
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The jam center is a built-in spotlight
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Crisp edges + tender center = elite cookie engineering
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They make every plate look like a Vogue photoshoot
Pairs well with: holiday hosts who like their desserts as dramatic as their décor.
Yield: 60 cookies
Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Ingredients
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2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1½ cups granulated sugar
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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2 large eggs
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2 large egg yolks
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½ teaspoon cinnamon
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1 pinch ground nutmeg
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1 cup almond meal
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3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
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¾ cup raspberry jam
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Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
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Place the butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat at medium speed with a handheld mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg, beat to incorporate, and then add the almond meal and flour. Knead the mixture with your hands until a smooth dough forms. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the dough on a flour-dusted work surface and roll out to ⅛-inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into star shapes, and then use a smaller cookie cutter to cut a smaller star shape in the center of half of the cookies. Place the cookies on the baking sheets.
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Place the cookies in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
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Place the raspberry jam in a saucepan and warm over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth. Spread ½ teaspoon of the warm jam on each cookie that was left whole. Place the cookies with the cut-out centers on top, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve.
And if your cookie tin is already feeling a little smug, just wait — these recipes (and dozens of other delicious overachievers) all live inside The Christmas Cookie Cookbook on The Foyer. It’s the kind of book that turns a quiet afternoon into a full-blown baking montage. Bring it home, crack it open, and let the sugar-dusted magic begin.