Each year, a favorite holiday activity of many is to bake cookies for family and friends. Christmas cookies are so fun and easy to make, and are very useful. They can be a hostess gift, a gift for your friends or family, a bonding activity to do with your friends or family or just a yummy treat!

A personal favorite of mine are these gingerbread cookies and roll out cookies. Both of these two kinds of cookies are very easy to make, and taste as good as they look. Another great use for these cookies — especially the gingerbread– would be to set them out as cookies for Santa. They will not get stale from sitting out and will look pretty presented on a plate.

The roll out cookies are sweet sugar cookies that you can cut out into any fun Christmas shape like a tree, reindeer, snowmen or even Santa. After this, it is fun to decorate them with whatever frosting and other decor that will spice up your cookies!

Gingerbread Cookies:

• 5 tbsp water
• 210 gram light brown sugar
• 3 tbsp light syrup
• 3 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp ground ginger
• 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 250 gram salted butter, cold and diced
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 560 gram plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• Preheat the oven to 200°C Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
• place the water, brown sugar, white syrup, honey, ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves into a deep saucepan.
• Over a medium heat, bring the mixture to the boil while stirring continuously.
• Remove from the heat, gradually add the diced butter and stir until combined.
• Add the bicarbonate of soda: take care as the mixture will swell up at this point.
• Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, leave the mixture to cool to room temperature.
• Once cool, sift in the flour in 3 editions and slowly mix together to form a slightly wet and sticky dough, use your beautiful hands at the end.
• Wrap in cling film and chill for 2 hours or until cool and firm.
• On a floured surface roll out the gingerbread dough to a thickness of approximately 5–6mm.
• Take a rubber stamp that you haven’t use previous with ink, and press firmly on the cookie dough.
• Then use your selection of cookie cutters, cut out the various spaces and rises
• Place them onto the prepared baking trays. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Bake for 8–10 minutes, depending on size, or until the cookies spring back to the touch and are slightly darker around the edges.

Roll out cookies:

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.