The History and Recipes Behind My Christmas Cookie Family Tradition
Christmas Cookies are one of the world’s oldest Holiday Traditions. Though we celebrate the holiday differently around the globe – cookies seem to be the long lasting Christmas favorite. Our family has always taken great pride in making the tried and true Christmas Cookie recipes.
In fact, one of the only memories I can recall with my great-grandma “O” is her plate of Christmas Cookies. She passed away when I was almost four. However, she has been with us every Christmas since her passing. Every year as a kid, my grandmother always made her traditional Christmas cookie recipes. My mom and aunts have done the same. And now we all do it together. All recipes are linked at the bottom of this post.
Our 2018 Christmas Cookie Decorating Party
For the last several years, my mom, aunts, cousins, and I have made it a priority to get together during the holidays and make great-grandma’s recipes. We throw in a few other recipes every year, but always make the traditional ones, too. It is one of my favorite Christmas traditions.
Our 2017 Christmas Cookie Decorating Party
Several years ago, my aunt compiled all of great-grandma O’s handwritten and typed recipes into a book for my mom, grandma, and other aunts. I’ve always thought that was the most special gift. Several years ago, I made a “modern” version of the cookbook, combining some traditional family favorite recipes and new favorites.
This year was especially fun because Lukas and my cousins son’s joined in on the celebration. In addition to my great-grandma’s German sugar cookies, we always make decorate regular sugar cookies. The little guys; Lukas, Jackson, and Caleb were so excited to decorate them. Watching them took me back to my childhood and being in the kitchen with my mom and grandma during the holidays. This made my heart so happy.
I have the best memories growing up, cooking with my mom, aunts, and grandma. It gives me so much joy now, as a momma, to do the same with them AND Lukas. We all had so much fun this year! We were just missing our Grandma Cathy as she spends her winter’s in Florida now. However, she did FaceTime us (and some tears were shed because we especially miss each other this time of the year).
Okay so the traditional cookies in our family, which came from great-grandmothers cookbook, are the German Sugar Cookies, Apricot Horns, Buckeye Balls, Kiss Cookies, and Fruit Drop cookies. My favorite is the Apricot Horns! 
This is how our annual cookie party works: Everyone who comes to the cookie party is assigned a traditional cookie (2 dozen per person). Many of us decide to bring an additional cookie recipe, too. And I always request my grandma’s Chex Mix. This year my Aunt Wendy brought that!
Together we decorate store bought sugar cookies. It works out perfectly and everyone goes home with lots of cookies to last them through the holiday season.
All of the cookies get divided up evenly and this year we ended up with A LOT! Look at the huge pile everyone took home with them!
I’m just hoping I don’t eat everything in the first week! I have a lot of parties over the next few weeks and I’d love to be able to have a tray of cookies to share at each of them. However, with James and Lukas in the house – it will be a Christmas miracle if I still have cookies by Christmas. haha. Okay, so don’t worry – I’m linking the recipes below. I’ve included our family traditional favorites and the chex mix! Cheers and Happy Holidays!
Traditional Christmas Cookie Recipes
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