Christmas Cookie Roundup

Some friends invited us over to their house this Sunday for a big, cookie-baking day of fun and asked everyone to bring a recipe or two. Since all the other folks coming are German and will be likely bringing traditional German cookie recipes with, it falls on me to make sure that some yummy American-style cookies are represented as well. Trouble is, I am having the absolute hardest time narrowing down which cookies to make. (I know, it's a rough life.)

Here are a bunch of deeelicious-looking recipes, some of which I've made before and some of which I've never tried. I have three days to choose the best ones and only two days to get the ingredients. Ready to help? Get set...Go!

1. Eggnog-frosted nutmeg sugar cookies, 2. Petite peppermint sandwiches, both by BHG.com 3. Stained glass snowmen, 4. Sugar cookies, both by Martha Stewart 5. Jam thumbprints by Real Simple

The first bunch are all varieties of the traditional sugar cookie, so I could technically make a double batch of dough and then go wild and make all five. But I'm not so sure that my practical-thinking German friends will go for that...For now, I'm leaning towards the jam thumbprint cookies, stained glass snowmen, and traditional sugar cookies with fun frosting and decorations.

6. Almond cinnamon cookies by BHG.com 7. Gingerbread people by Martha Stewart 8. Chocolate pistachio slice-and-bake cookies by Real Simple 9. Cran-pistachio cookies by The Girl Who Ate Everything 10. Chai Spice Girls by BHG 11. Andes Mint Chocolate Cookies from allrecipes via Creature Comforts

Then there are all these other, less traditional options. I am 100% set on making those chai spice girls because who can resist that name?! (I wonder if my friends wouldn't mind a indulging my cheesy side and listening to some Spice Girls music while we mix those...) Micha really loves pistachios so I'll have to pick one of the pistachio varieties (chocolate or cranberries? not-so-pretty or super holiday spirity pretty?). And after that, well, my cookie-loving mind is just starting to go into overload. They all look sooooo goooooood. Who wants to decide for me?

p.s. This wouldn't be a problem at all if Natalie lived in Berlin with me and we could just continue on her tradition of the 1000 Cookie Party and make them all! One day...