Welcome back to The Cookie Elf File! It’s that time of year when we send you cookie recipes, cookie trivia and simple baking tips to give you easy ways to bake 12 days of Christmas cookies.

This year, we’re sending you two recipes in each email to cut down on the mail in your inbox. Bookmark or pin these recipes so you can use them in your holiday baking.

Cookie Cutters: Here's Where to Find Fun and Favorite Shapes

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12 Days of Christmas Cookies, Day 3: Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe - The Simple Way to Make Cut Out Cookies

Image: The Cookie Elf

This Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe has just 3 ingredients. You can mix the dough together in just a few minutes.

Another advantage of this recipe is that the cookie dough is soft. That means it is pliable and easy to roll when you make cut outs.

You can decorate the cookies with colored sugar and cookie sprinkles before you bake them.

Or you can bake cookies, allow them to cool, and then decorate them with the Easy Royal Frosting recipe.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 8-10 minutes
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Get the full Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe … and check out our Christmas Cut Out Cookies Pinterest board for more easy cookie recipes you can make for Christmas.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies, Day 4: Cranberry Sugar Cookies - Easy Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe

Image: The Cookie Elf

1. Convenience. It calls for a quick bread or muffin mix rather than measured ingredients from scratch. By using a mix, you save time and mess.
2. Flavor. The added cranberry tang offers a surprising twist to the traditional rich, buttery flavor associated with most sugar cookie recipes.
3. Time. Typically, sugar cookie dough is rolled out on the work surface and then cut into shapes using cookie cutters. This recipe calls for cookie dough to be rolled into small balls and pressed down, producing round cookies.

Prep time: 5-20 minutes
Bake time: 7-10 minutes
Makes 3-4 dozen cookies

Get the full Cranberry Sugar Cookies recipe… and check out our Sugar Cookies Pinterest board for more easy sugar cookie recipes.

The Un-Santa Book: Plan Now for a Meaningful Christmas

It's filled with fun, meaningful Christmas activities for your kids, homeschool group, class, or event - with reproducibles!

You can even use the book to host a complete festival or sponsor a unique holiday event or simply doing Christmas crafts with kids during this special time of year. Good gift idea, too! Learn more.

Cookie Baking Tip: How to Make Firm Cookie Icing

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See more helpful cookie baking tips on The Elf’s Baking Tips Pinterest Board .

Roll With It!

Silicone rolling pins: the latest trend	Go traditional: check out wood rolling pins	Gorgeous – and not as expensive as you may think: marble rolling pins

More Easy Sugar Cookie Recipes

Happy baking,