Here are 13 of the best recipes to appear in The Dispatch’s Holiday Cookie section

There is nothing like the smell of cookies baking in the oven, is there? 

© Joshua A. Bickel, Joshua A. Bickel/Columbus Dispat
Perfect cutout cookies on Monday, October 23, 2017 at the Dispatch studio in Columbus, Ohio. [Joshua A. Bickel/Dispatch]

Anticipating the delicious treats is part of the fun. 

And, given that many people are spending the holidays at home this year, why not make cookie-baking a family affair that can not only provide sweet goodies but also help lend festiveness and normalcy to the season?

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Today, we share recipes that have appeared in previous Holiday Cookie special sections. We offer a variety of confections, from traditional sugar cookies to Italian Christmas cookies.

We hope you enjoy this look back at some of our favorite recipes that were submitted by readers in years’ past. And please, have a safe and happy holiday season!

The perfect sugar cookie

We have all the tips to form pristine Santa hat, presents, wreaths or whatever else — as long as they’re made out of cookies.

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© Fred Squillante, Fred Squillante
Holiday cookies – chocolate marshmallow cookies. [Fred Squillante/Dispatch]

Chocolate-marshmallow cookies

Didn’t think you could improve on the classic s’mores, did you? This recipe is out to test that assumption.

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© FRED SQUILLANTE, FRED SQUILLANTE
#48 Swedish Logs photographed on October 24, 2016 in the Dispatch studio for the annual cookie tab photos. (Columbus Dispatch photo by Fred Squillante)

Swedish logs

Just five ingredients get you these cinnamon-sugar bites, proving simple can mean delicious.

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© Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch
Almond Crescent Cookies as photographed in the Columbus Dispatch studio in Columbus, Ohio on October 11, 2016. (Columbus Dispatch photo by Brooke LaValley)

Almond crescent cookies

Is it the ingredients or the shape that make these so delicious? Who can tell?

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© Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch
Triple Chocolate Sammies cookies as photographed in the Dispatch studio in Columbus, Ohio on October 22, 2018. [ Brooke LaValley / Dispatch ]

Triple-chocolate sammies

Don’t worry, vegans, you haven’t been forgotten. These chocolatey delights use Earth Balance vegan butter and almond milk for a sweet tooth on a plant-based diet.

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© Adam Cairns, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Italian Christmas cookies (Adam Cairns / The Columbus Dispatch)

Italian Christmas cookies

Try to freshen up your holidays with this recipe hailing from the Mediterranean. Throw in some chopped nuts for a little extra bite.

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© Adam Cairns, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Raspberry truffle brownies (Adam Cairns / The Columbus Dispatch)

Raspberry truffle brownies

Chocolate, raspberries, coffee, cream cheese: What’s not to love? 

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© Courtney Hergesheimer, Staff Photographer
Amaretto Butter cookie for the annual Christmas Cookie Section, Monday, October 20, 2014. (Dispatch photo by Courtney Hergesheimer)

Amaretto butter cookies

Christmas sweets could use a little bit of a kick, right? Try them with some amaretto and top them off with a nice pinwheel design.

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© Fred Squillante, Fred Squillante
Holiday cookies – peanut candy bars. [Fred Squillante/Dispatch]

Peanutty candy bars

As with most of these recipes, this is a pretty straightforward treat. There’s just one key: Don’t skimp on the sugar. If you want to use reduced-fat peanut butter, just don’t bother.

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© Courtney Hergesheimer, Staff Photographer
Gluten-free Snickerdoodles cookie for the annual Christmas Cookie Section, Monday, October 20, 2014. (Dispatch photo by Courtney Hergesheimer)

Gluten-free snickerdoodles

You don’t need gluten to make these cinnamon-sugar classics. With Gluten-Free Bisquick it’s a quick and easy bake. 

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© Courtney Hergesheimer, Staff Photographer
Mocha Nut Butter Balls for the annual Christmas Cookie Section, Monday, October 6, 2014. (Dispatch photo by Courtney Hergesheimer)

Mocha-nut butter balls

Hope you haven’t had enough chocolate and nut cookies, because we’ve got another one: this one with a coffee kick.

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© Eric Albrecht, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Dutch cheese wafers Christmas cookie. Dispatch studio Oct. 28, 2013. (Dispatch photo by Eric Albrecht)

Dutch cheese wafers

You can make these any time of the year, but the red and green sprinkles or cherries make them all the more fun around the holidays.

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© Brooke LaValley, The Columbus Dispatch
Salted Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies as photographed in the Dispatch studio in Columbus, Ohio on October 22, 2018. [ Brooke LaValley / Dispatch ]

Salted chocolate chunk shortbread cookies

Each bite of these offers a nice chunk of chocolate and a perfect balance of salty and sweet.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here are 13 of the best recipes to appear in The Dispatch’s Holiday Cookie section