Vincent Hsiao

Gingerbread

Americans don’t season their chicken, but apparently they do season their cookies. A frankly disgusting amalgamation of spices, gingerbread cookies are the lovechild of a bog standard cookie and your grandma’s potpourri. They have an enjoyable texture, with the bite of the crust and the chewy inside, but an overwhelming flavor with a strangely salty undertone that will leave you wondering what exactly you’re tasting. You might be better off using gingerbread cookies as air fresheners rather than eating them.

Chocolate Crinkle

Chocolate is usually one of those things that is only good in moderation, for me at least. It’s rich and sweet yet bitter, with an unpleasant heaviness that always lingers in your mouth. Brownies have always been my exception to that rule, and now chocolate crinkle cookies might be another. Delightfully fudgy and decadent, they’ll leave the scent of cocoa in your kitchen while you bake. They’re chewy and soft with a crisp exterior for that perfect first bite — the edge brownie in cookie form: exceptional. 

Snowball

With just four ingredients thrown together in a mixing bowl, you wouldn’t expect snowball cookies, also known as Russian tea cakes or Mexican wedding cookies, to be as amazing as they are. Soft, crumbly and buttery with a coating of powdered sugar and a nice crunch from sliced nuts of your choice, they’re simple, easy to make and absolutely delicious. No matter what the occasion is, they’re a holiday must-have! 

Biscotti

There are people who will read this and be angry. “It’s called cantucci, biscotti just means biscuit, it’s not even a real cookie,” they’ll say, and to those people, my dearest readers, I say this: I don’t care. That’s irrelevant. Sweet but light and endlessly customizable, biscotti are the perfect pairing to your holiday hot drink of choice — whether it be tea, coffee or hot cocoa — and the end result fully makes up for the time it takes to twice-bake them. All the effort is worth it for that signature crisp, even dealing with a bunch of quarter-Italians on your heels. 

Snickerdoodle

Soft, sweet and dusted with cinnamon sugar, the snickerdoodle is gingerbread’s prettier, smarter cousin — you know, the one who your parents always compare you with at holiday parties. When the whole family’s gathered together, it’s painfully clear who the superior daughter is. In this case, it’s the one who doesn’t smell like the seasoning aisle of an Asian supermarket. If you’re looking for sugar and spice and everything nice, always default to snickerdoodles.

Linzer

Linzer cookies are the essential splash of color in every holiday cookie board. But beyond aesthetics, how do they score on flavor? Soft sugar cookies with a faint almond undertone and a jam-filled center, they’re perfect if you’re looking for a classic treat with a hint of tartness. Baking them, though, is another story. Homemade linzers are delicious and customizable, but they’re an absolute nightmare to cut out, bake, fill and assemble. Before you bake, take a moment to consider this: are the aesthetics really worth the blood, sweat and tears poured into making them?