No holiday cookie collection is complete without the typical gingerbread, peanut butter kiss, decorated sugar cookie cutouts, snowballs, and thumbprints, but you’ve already got those recipes tucked away don’t you? Let us help you add to your collection! Here are seven great Christmas cookie recipes to try this month:

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookie Sandwiches

For the cookies: 

• 1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 large egg

For the filling:

•  1 cup (plus 2 tablespoons) powdered sugar
• ¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• ¾ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 drops (or to satisfaction) red food coloring
• ½ cup crushed candy canes

To make the cookies, combine flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter until well blended, then beat in egg. Add the dry ingredients and beat until well blended. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll balls of dough (about 1 tablespoon) and place on parchment-covered baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Flatten each ball to a 2-inch diameter circle (the edges will crack). Bake cookies about 11 minutes so they are not too crisp and a small indentation appears when touched lightly with fingers. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

For the filling, beat powdered sugar and butter in a medium bowl until well blended. Add peppermint extract and food coloring. Beat until light pink (or desired pinkness) and well blended.

Spread the filling generously over flat side of one cookie and top with another, pressing gently to secure. Place crushed candy canes on a plate and roll edges of cookie sandwich in crushed candy canes to coat the filling.

Eggnog Cookies

 For the cookies:

• 1 cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons rum extract
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup custard powder
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream butter, gradually adding the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla and rum extracts. In a separate bowl, mix flour, custard powder, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add dry mixture to butter mixture. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake cookies 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Place on wire cooking rack and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Apple Cider Caramel Cookies

 For the cookies:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, nearly melted
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 (7.4 ounce) box Spiced Apple Cider Instant Drink Mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 (14 ounce) bag Caramels

Preheat oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cream together butter, sugar, salt, and apple cider mix until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Beat in baking soda and baking powder. Add the flour last and mix until just combined.

Scoop about a tablespoon of dough and work the dough around a caramel so that it is completely surrounded by dough and caramel is in the center of the ball. Place cookie balls 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets until hard enough to move to cooling rack.

Fig Swirls

For the dough:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

 For the filling:

• 1 cup packed soft dried figs (8 ounces), discard hard tips
• ¾ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 teaspoons fresh orange zest, grated
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

For the dough, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, yolk and vanilla until smooth. Add dry mixture and mix until dough begins to form a ball.

Divide dough in half and form each into a rectangle (about 6 by 2 inches). Wrap each rectangle in plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 1 ½ hours.

For the filling, puree figs, honey, juice, zest, and cinnamon in a food processor (or blender) until almost smooth.

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to form a 10- by 8-inch rectangle. Remove top sheet of wax paper and spread one fourth of the fig mixture over half the rectangle, leaving a ¼ inch boarder. Roll the dough the long way just enough to enclose the fig mixture. Flip roll and spread another ¼ of fig mixture on the other side’s half of the dough in the same manner as the first. Roll this end in the same way as the first to form an S-shaped log. Repeat for second log. Wrap logs in wax paper and chill until firm, about 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice logs crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices and place slices about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake cookie slices 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to cooling racks.

Pecan Tassies

For the tassies:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup finely-chopped pecans
• 3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Beat cream cheese and butter until well blended. Add flour and mix well. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide dough into 24 balls. Press each dough ball into a muffin pan cup, pressing on the bottoms and up the sides to form a cup with the dough. In a medium bowl, beat egg, vanilla, and brown sugar. Stir in nuts. Spoon mixture into dough cups, filling each about ¾ full. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Let cool until chocolate is set.

Spiced Molasses Crinkles

 For the cookies:

• ¾ cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Cream shortening until fluffy. Gradually add sugar until well mixed. Add egg and molasses and beat until well mixed. In a separate bowl, combine flour and next 8 ingredients until well mixed. Gradually add flour mixture to shortening mixture, beating until well blended after each addition. Cover dough and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place dough balls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

For the biscotti:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1 ½ cups pistachio nuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large bowl, mix oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in eggs. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually stir dry mixture into the egg mixture until well combined. Stir in cranberries and pistachios.

Divide dough in half to form 2 logs (about 12- by 2-inches) on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 35 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut logs on diagonal into ¾ inch thick slices. Lay slices on sides on cookie sheets and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until dry.

What are your favorite holiday cookies? Leave your recipe in the comments section below.