It is the time of the year again where holiday festivities are in full swing. One of the most well-loved traditions is holiday baking. Whether it is trying something new or perfecting a family recipe, baking brings everyone together for holiday cheer. Taste of Home shares how cooking and baking are strongly associated with emotions. This is triggered by the sense of smell because the areas of the brain that process smell are the same parts of the brain that house memories: the amygdala and hippocampus. So when there is a whiff of grandma’s delicious holiday treats, it is strongly associated with feelings like joy and nostalgia. Baking is closely tied with happy memories. 

Holiday baking can take many forms, perhaps the most notable of which being cookies. From sugar cookies to thumbprint cookies, there are a wide variety of treats that can be made to celebrate the holiday season. I tried four different cookie recipes; here is the best holiday cookie for this winter season. 

The contenders: cherry thumbprints, chocolate peppermint, peppermint candy canes and peanut butter blossoms. After selecting the recipes, I had to establish the criteria for the best cookie. Colossal Cookie Co. describes the best cookie as having a crispy outer layer with a soft and chewy center, as well as a sense of creativity. With this in mind, I decided that I would rank these cookies based on the taste, texture, appearance and baking process. 

First, I began with a thumbprint cookie from Moms Need to Know. This holiday classic can take many forms and the one that I chose featured a cherry filling center. This recipe was by far the easiest to make with a simple base consisting of just sugar, butter, vanilla and flour. I rated the baking process of this cookie a 4 out of 5 stars. The recipe did, however, advise bakers to be mindful because the dough may crack some. To prevent this, I just popped the cookies topped with a cherry into the refrigerator for 15 minutes so that they were chilled before going into the oven. The end result was a crisp shortbread cookie with a sweet cherry filling and a powdered sugar glaze on top. I gave this cookie 3 out of 5 stars for both appearance and taste. It was a simple, festive cookie that was just a tad bit dry and not too sweet.

After finishing up the cherry thumbprint cookies, I set out to make chocolate peppermint cookies. Following a recipe from The View From Great Island, I began by creating the chocolate batter with melted chocolate chips. This made the batter liquidy, which is why the recipe recommends letting it stand for 15 minutes to make it easier to roll the dough into balls. I found that 15 minutes was not enough time, so I let it sit for an additional 15 minutes so that I could form the cookies easier. After this, I popped these cookies into the oven and they baked for only 7 minutes. For the baking process, I rated these cookies a 3 out of 5 stars. I had some trouble with the batter initially, but it came together in the end. When the cookies were finished baking, I allowed them to cool before dipping them into melted white chocolate and topping them off with crushed candy cane pieces. These cookies receive 3 out of 5 stars for appearance because of their festive feel. As for taste, these cookies were soft and chewy with a crunch of white chocolate on the outside. I rate them a 4 out of 5 stars for taste. 

With two types of cookies down and two more to go, I went with the peppermint candy cane cookies next. These cookies are festive and fun to make. The recipe, from The Kitchn, is simple to follow, and after the dough is ready, I split it up, dyeing one half of it red with food dye. After flattening the dough into disks and wrapping them up in Saran Wrap, I let the dough chill in the fridge for one hour. When it was ready, I took the dough out and started rolling pieces of it together into candy cane shapes. I rate the baking process for these cookies a 4 out 5 stars. I had a great time rolling the dough into place, and I even started to experiment with how to shape the best candy candy. The cookies look just as festive when they come out of the oven, holding their shape well, which leaves them with a 3 out of 5 stars for appearance. The main downsides of these cookies, however, are the taste and texture. The cookies were dry and cracked apart easily. The taste was also quite bland with just a faint peppermint flavor. I was rather disappointed with how they turned out taste-wise, which is why I give them a 2 out of 5 stars for taste. 

Finally, I began on the last cookies: peanut butter blossoms. For these, I followed a recipe from Beyond the Butter, and they turned out excellently. These cookies had a smooth baking process, the only minor downside being that they had to chill for an hour before baking. The peanut butter dough was soft and easy to roll into balls, which is why it received a 4 out of 5 stars for the baking process. I popped them in the oven for just 8 minutes before taking them out and gently pressing a Hershey’s kiss on top of each one. The cookies were then placed in the oven for another minute or two before being set out to cool. After taking a bite, it was clear that these cookies were excellent. With a warm, chewy peanut butter center and a melty chocolate kiss on top, these cookies are the perfect combination of taste and texture. This is why I give these cookies 5 out of 5 stars for taste, as well 4 out of 5 for appearance. 

After evaluating the baking process, appearance, taste and texture of each of these cookies, it was easy to determine that the peanut butter blossoms are the best holiday cookie to make this season. The baking process was smooth and the appearance of these cookies are simple and effortless. From a sweet, chewy peanut butter base that remains the perfect texture no matter the temperature to a soft chocolate kiss on top, these cookies take the cake. 

“I think it is perfect! They are very good,” my friend and fellow baker Helen Suprise exclaimed upon taking a bite of this delicious cookie.

This holiday season, test out these tasty peanut butter blossom cookies for the perfect treat—or any of the other delicious recipes. Baking is the perfect way to spread holiday cheer, especially when lifelong memories are created in the process with family and friends. Ring in this festive time of the year with some chewy, crispy, crunchy goodness!