Shecky’s

There’s only twelve days left until Christmas, which means you have less than two weeks to get that oh-so-perfect gift for everybody on your list. But before you get yourself into complete and utter procrastinator panic, we’ve got something that should soothe that shopping anxiety—how about some sprinkle-coated sweets, candy cane thumbprints, mountain-high meringues and jam-covered confections? Oh yes ladies, we’re talking about Christmas cookies! To give you energy for the twelve hectic days ahead, we’ve got a dozen sugary sweet treats so scrumptious, you won’t even want to share them with Santa himself!

-Christina Izzo

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy canes are pretty much ubiquitous during the holidays, so it’s no surprise that the red-and-white striped sweets are the subject of many a cookie recipe. Our favorite? These Candy Cane Cookies from Roxana’s Home Baking. Standard sugar cookie dough (butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, an egg and an extra egg yolk) gets amped up with peppermint extract and red food coloring to create a candy cane-like look and flavor. Roll the dough into balls, push a thumbprint on top and after they’re baked up, cap them off with a Hershey’s Candy Cane Kiss for the final festive touch.

Image credit: roxanashomebaking.com