If you ask us, holiday baking season is the most wonderful time of the year. That’s when we get to break out the royal icing, sprinkles and colorful candy pieces—and give all our favorite holiday cookies an extra special touch. And, while we always make sure to include something new in our roundup, there’s nothing better than a freshly baked batch of the classics. We’re talking buttery shortbreads, all different types of sugar cookies and, of course, plenty of gingerbread. If looking for a handful of recipes that rely on classic flavors and tried-and-true techniques, these are the ones to add to your repertoire. You’ll find snowballs, thumbprints, biscotti and more. No matter which cookies you decide to bake, spritz are a holiday must. The green and white tie-dye effect gives these classic cookies a modern-retro look, and the red sprinkles add a bit more holiday cheer.

With their beautiful, swirled tops and vibrant filling, these Viennese whirls are sure to look divine on any holiday cookie platter. Despite their name, the delicate, buttery shortbread cookies are a favorite sweet treat in England. They’re sandwiched with a homemade vanilla bean buttercream and a spoonful of raspberry jam, which is traditional, but feel free to substitute with your favorite jam.

Your search is over—this perfect butter cookie will stay in your recipe box for years. It's crisp, yet tender and perfect for tea for two or cookies for Santa. Plus, you have the choice to make drop cookies or a slice-and-bake version!

Double down on the peanut butter goodness in Nancy Fuller's traditional blossoms. Incorporate smooth peanut butter into the cookie batter before folding in peanut butter chips. The intense peanut butter flavor pairs perfectly with the addition of a chocolate kiss candy in the center.

These classic Butter Spritz Cookies are buttery, crisp and perfect for the holidays, with festive shapes made easy using a cookie press and a sprinkle of colorful sugar.

These simple, sugar-dusted butter cookies will add a touch of wintry wonder to any holiday dessert plate.

This satisfying shortbread is as easy as it gets. It's simultaneously crisp, crumbly and tender because we've added a little cornstarch to the flour. And granulated sugar gives the cookies their gorgeous golden color.

Crackle cookies are one of our favorite treats to include on a holiday cookie plate. The simple act of rolling them in powdered sugar before baking produces the prettiest finish. In this recipe, we give them an extra dose of holiday cheer by flavoring them cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.

Warmly spiced and irresistibly chewy, these Molasses Cookies bring old-fashioned holiday charm with every rich, molasses-kissed bite.

You only need a handful of basic ingredients like butter, sugar, flour and eggs to make these traditional cookies. We keep the icing simple too – mixing just confectioners’ sugar, milk and food coloring.

Alex sandwiches raspberry jam in between two buttery star-shaped cookies to make a festive holiday treat that'll be the centerpiece of your dessert spread.

Gingerbread cookies are a cookie plate classic during the holidays. Trisha’s recipe makes them easy – even with the addition of a homemade royal icing for decorating.

Top these easy cookies with cinnamon and sugar before baking until the cookies are set but the centers are still nice and soft.

Cinnamon Stars are a classic German cookie; you'll find them in most every German household as soon as St. Nicholas Day rolls around. These gluten-free cookies are a cross between a macaroon and a meringue, with a hint of nutty spiciness.

These classic cookies are the gift that keeps on giving. You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for several weeks, which makes it easy to mix up a big batch and then bake a dozen cookies whenever you need them — all holiday season long.

A little peppermint extract gives these red-and-green, swirled cookies their classic holiday flavor. They taste just like a candy cane — in cookie form!

The perfect way to dress up basic coconut macaroons for the holidays? Stir in bits of sweet, chewy, dried apricot.

Kransekake is a show-stopping Scandinavian celebration dessert that literally means 'wreath cake.' This tower of iced cookies is traditional for a handful of different occasions throughout the year, Christmas included.

We love how Giada gives these fruitcake-inspired biscotti an extra-festive touch: a simple dip in white chocolate and a sprinkle of red and green sugar crystals.

These festive Italian Christmas cookies are traditional in the southern part of Italy, but you can find them decorating treat platters across America during the holiday. The texture and flavor are like a sugar cookie, only a touch less sweet and a bit more cake-like. The crumb is buttery and studded throughout with flecks of vanilla bean. Dipped in a vanilla glaze and decorated with red, green and white sprinkles, they make the perfect addition to any table.

Chocolate chip cookies are a favorite year-round — so we’ve updated them for the holidays. We use cocoa powder to give them a rich, chocolate base and press crushed peppermint candies into the tops of the cookies before baking.

The beauty of these pretty, little cookies is that you can fill them with whatever jam you like or have on hand. Raspberry and strawberry give them a Christmas-y red color but apricot jam and orange marmalade are delicious too.

Don’t be fooled by the simple appearance of these chocolate cookies; they’re packed with warm baking spices and taste just like the holidays.

Dress your gingersnaps for the holidays with a dip in a simple, confectioners’ sugar glaze — and a sprinkle of festive sanding sugar.

Pillowy Swiss meringue is perfect for making these old-fashioned cookies. It's very stable, the texture is smooth and it bakes up crisp, light and snowy white. We give the classic meringue cookie and update though — and pipe them into the shape of cheery snowmen.

Rugelach fans, this festive wreath is perfect for your crowd — it's filled with sweetened cream cheese and jam and features a traditional holiday ingredient: fig.