Make-Ahead Holiday Cookies
It's hard to get a handle on the holidays. When autumn comes, they're still months away, and you have plenty of time to fume at early decorations and premature yuletide cheer. Then, before you know it, Halloween's gone, Thanksgiving is on its way out, and the holiday season is upon us, giving you no time to prepare.
The line between "planning ahead" and "frantically running around" is perilously thin. So get cracking! Here are some cookies you can make now, right now, this very instant: mix, roll, freeze, slice, decorate, and gift the season's crispiest, crumbliest, most delicious treats before the holidays even begin. You'll be one step ahead of everyone else, and your kitchen will smell of seasonal cheer before "Jingle Bell Rock" has even hit the airwaves.
Photograph by Victoria Jane, Food Styling by Mallory Lance, Prop Styling by Alexandra Massillon1/6Chewy Molasses Cookies
Molasses keeps these cookies magically fresh and chewy for days. TAKE YOUR COOKIES TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH THE RIGHT TOOLS
2/6Chocolate-Pistachio Sablés
This dough freezes well for make-ahead slice-and-bake convenience. LEARN HOW TO MASTER THE DOUGH LOG BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott3/6Rosemary and Toasted-Caraway Shortbread
Though always delicious in its simple, unadulterated state, shortbread is also ripe for innovations, like this slightly savory version with rosemary and toasted-caraway. CLICK HERE FOR THE SWEET LOWDOWN ON 4 TYPES OF SUGARS
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne, Prop Styling by Carla Gonzalez-Hart4/6Ultimate Sugar Cookies
These sugar cookies are crisp yet tender. They keep their shape when baked, and yes, they taste great, too. FIND YOUR INNER PICASSO AND LEARN HOW TO PAINT THEM
Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott5/6Salted Honey and Chocolate Bark
This holiday confection is both sweet and salty. DON'T HESITATE TO RAID YOUR PANTRY AND FREE YOURSELF FROM THE SPICE RACK
6/6Roasted-Almond Thumbprints
The great thing about these roasted-almond thumbprint cookies? They can be any shape or size, and the fillings are customizable. PLUS, THINK BEYOND THE TIN WHEN GIVING COOKIES AS GIFTS
